His Bane
by OakLeafStoryTeller
Summary: No, she didn't know who Bane was, not until he broke into the Stock Exchange, but even then she didn't care who he was. It wasn't until her city was "freed" that she cared who he was. She hated what he had done to her city and she planned on taking it back. Rated M just in case. OC/Bane
1. His Bane

No, she didn't know who Bane was, not until he broke into the Stock Exchange, but even then she didn't care who he was. He was just some brute who was showing off his power by slipping away from the cops. The idiotic cops that went after The Batman inside of pursuing Bane.

It wasn't until the next day that she started to become curious as to who Bane was. She noticed something in the newspaper. The fact that Bane had broken into the Stock Exchange and Bruce Wayne had bet everything in the stocks and lost it all. She doubted someone as brilliant as Bruce Wayne would do something that idiotic. She also knew that Bruce Wayne wasn't the gambling type. She suspected something was happening between the two.  
Had Bruce Wayne mad enemies with Bane? If so, what had he done to anger such a large and powerful man?

She started researching, looking for information on this masked man, but no matter how hard she looked she didn't find much. He was a mercenary, a hired killer. He was often referred to as the masked merc, but that's all she could find.

It was long before Bane appeared on television, blowing up the Gotham football stadium. He walked out, a leather jacket draped across his shoulders, his hands gripping the lapels of the metal vest he wore. He spoke to the crowd, telling them he Gotham's reckoning, that he was giving Gotham back to the city, but there were rules. A bomb sat next to him in the field, he gestured towards it, saying that someone in Gotham held the detonator to the bomb that stood before him, if anyone tried to escape or enter Gotham, the bomb would go off. He then turned to a man standing next to him and asked him his name and occupation.

His name was Leonid Pavil, a nuclear physicist who claimed he was the only one capable of disarming the bomb. Once said, Gotham watched as Bane reached out and grabbed the physicist by the neck, breaking it instantly.

It was then that Gotham was "freed" from the restrictions of the outside world. Then that everyone was equal and the wealthy was put on trial for living in luxury while the rest suffered. It was then that the city turned to turmoil and hell.

She watched again as Bane released the prisoners from Blackgate prison, allowing them to roam the streets free, giving most of the prisoners guns to help them on their way. She was appalled at the way Bane was running the city, letting dangerous prisoners wander the streets, looking for new prey.

She remained in her apartment the first few days, scared of what she might run into if she went outside. She went to her window and looked outside, seeing the people running up and down the streets. It was then she realized what had happened to her city. She was no longer scared, she was angry. This wasn't suppose to happen to her city, her Gotham. She wondered how many other people felt the same way and she was going to find out.

Her own revolution had begun.

**Author's Notes: Please let me know what you think! This is my first story and comments are very much appreciated!**


	2. Revolution

It had been two weeks since she decided to start her revolution and so far it was working perfectly. Her army had been raised, people from all over the city had come to the warehouse, the meeting place of the revolution.

She stood before the people, the people who wanted their city back. She felt her knees start to shake a little, they were all starting at her, expecting her to speak. She took a deep breath before straightening her shoulders and holding her head high.

"People of Gotham, we are here for a reason." She paused, looking at the group before her, "we want out city back." The people before her started to applaud, but she quickly raised her hands to quiet them. "Bane has given the city back to the people," she said sarcastically, spreading her arms wide. "If he has given it to the people, then why are so many criminals running around, why is he still in charge?" Her voice started to rise, power behind every word she spoke. "How do we expect to be heard if we never speak up?" She yelled to the group, looking them in the eyes. "We must take back our city, we must fight for what is ours, and we must fight together!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd before they quickly settled back down. "Let us take back our city together." She raised her fist into the air and watched as about a hundred others raised into the air. She felt a smile creep across her lips and confidence creep into her body. She was excited, this might actually work. She turned and nodded towards the people she appointed to help her.

"Everyone line up and take a weapon, we take our city back now!" Everyone lined up, eager to fight. It wasn't long before all of the revolutionists had a weapon poised in their arms. She once again raised her arm and walked to the front of the group, raising her weapon up and down.

"Today, we fight for what is rightfully ours!" As the doors opened, she turned, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that shined through the door. It took her a moment to realized what was happening.

Before her stood a firing squad, weapons aimed at them and in front of them stood the Masked Merc himself. Everything was deadly silent as they stood, staring at one another, the only sound was the hiss of the mask every time he inhaled and exhaled.  
He hummed, looking at the group of people before him, cocking his head to the side.

She could hear the blood roaring in her ears. How had he found out about where they were meeting, they had been careful, using code for everything. She scanned the crowd behind Bane, that's when she noticed a familiar face. A young man, skinny but well built, a drowsy look and stubble covering his face stood among the group. He had been to a few meetings, she recognized him, he never got very involved, just stood in the back and watched. He had betrayed them, turned them over to Bane.

Bane was studying the group that stood before him, none had raised their weapon to challenge him yet. He smiled behind his mask.  
A loud mechanical hiss filled the silence before he spoke, "I was told that their was a revolution being made, one against me." He paused, inhaling. "Do you not like what I have done? Do you not like the power given to you? Do you wish to be ruled by someone stronger than you, do you not wish to me free."

An eerie silence filled the area before she spoke out. "This isn't freedom, it's all a lie. No one is truly free while you continue to pull the strings."  
Bane's eyes swung to hers, studying her like she was a specimen to be dissected. He looked back to the man who had betrayed them, "line them up."

The people were quickly placed into a line, almost a hundred people placed in four straight lines. Bane walked along the ranks, looking each person in the eyes.

"So who planned this? Who wanted to start a revolution against me?" He asked, walking slowly, each step taken with certainty. No one moved. Bane rolled his neck. "Very well. Grab the first one." The betrayer stepped forward, grabbing a young man by the front of his shirt and throwing him to his knees.

"Shoot him." Bane said calmly, continuing to walk among the ranks of people.

She was in the third row, watching as they threw the young man to his knees, fear was evident in his eyes. She couldn't watch him die simply because they wanted her, she would rather die than watch him die, maybe she could even become a martyr. She stepped forward, instantly catching the attention on Bane.

"I'm the one who started the revolution!" She yelled, not daring to move. Bane was next to her, watching her. How could such a small, insignificant girl start a revolution so quickly, especially one who didn't look like much.

"What is your name girl?" He asked, moving to stand in front of her. He towered over her, at least a head and a half taller than her.  
"Sophia." She continued to stare forward, not daring to look the monster before her in the eye.

Bane grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her to the front of the group while the other man was thrown back in line.

"People of Gotham, look at the girl that stands before you, the one who talked you into revolting against me." Keeping a grip on her arm, he shoved her forward for everyone to stare at her. "She is the reason you shall be punished, you must learn your place." Sophia grabbed at his hand, trying to loosen his grip on her arm.

"Grab five people from each row." Bane stood still, not moving as twenty people were randomly selected and brought to the side. "Remember this next time you feel the need to start a revolution." With that, gun shots rang across the air. A scream was torn from Sophia's throat as she watched twenty people drop to the group, their blood staining the ground.

**Author's Notes: Please let me know what you think. If everything looks good or if you think I'm missing something.**


	3. Toys

Bane released Sophia's arm, allowing her to collapse to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Why?" She screamed, her fingers grabbing her hair and gripping it tight. "Why did you kill them?" Bane tilted his head to the side, watching the girl that sat before him. "Why punish them for what I started, punish me! You don't have to punish other people!" She inhaled sharply, watching as Bane's minions started to take the bodies away one by one.

"My dear," Bane crouched down next to the weeping girl, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet. "I am punishing you."

Sophia looked towards Bane, her vision blurry from the tears that escaped her eyes. He continued to start at her, his blue eyes unwavering.  
"Release the others." He spoke, his eyes never leaving hers.

Sophia didn't know how long they sat there staring at each other, she felt like an eternity had passed before Bane stood. He reached down and forcefully pulled her to her feet. He started to walk towards a motorcycle, dragging Sophia behind him.

"Where are we going?" She asked, again scratching at his hand, trying to release his firm grip on her arm.

"You must be made an example of, my dear." He didn't turn to look at her as he spoke, he gently pushed her towards the bike, beckoning for her to get on. She looked at him, defiance in her eyes. After what he had done, she wasn't going to follow his orders willingly.

Bane rolled his eyes in annoyance, grabbing Sophia by the waist and placing her roughly on the bike.

"From now on, if I ask you to do something, you do it." Bane growled as he climbed onto the bike behind her, his arms on either side of her, creating a prison from which she couldn't escape. She leaned as far forward as she could, she didn't like the heat he emitted for his body, she didn't want him touching her.

It was long before they were riding through the streets of Gotham. She had no idea where he was taking her and she didn't care. Her mind was occupied with the thoughts of what he was going to do to her.

_You must be made an example of… _The words echoed through her mind.

She looked up just as Bane steered into a parking garage. Once parked, he swung one massive leg over the bike and stood, waiting for Sophia to do the same. She did so slowly, wanting to prolong whatever Bane had planned for her.

Once off the bike, Bane placed his hand on her lower back and guided her into the building that stood before them. He directed her to an elevator and there they stood as it slowly climbed in height.

It was the most uncomfortable Sophia had ever felt in her entire life, Bane stood behind her, his mask hissing with every breath he took. She could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head but she refused to turn and look at him.

Soon, the elevator dinged and Bane' hand found its place on her lower back once again. He lead her into an condo room. It was huge, larger than anything Sophia had ever lived in. She looked around, the first thing you walked into was the living room, which connected to the kitchen. One way was a hallway, with what she assumed was a bedroom and bathroom, while the other way held a large master bedroom.

"Why are we here?" Sophia asked, watching as Bane stepped past her and removed his leather jacket, draping it across the back of a chair. He turned slightly and studied her for a moment.

"Welcome to your new home." He spoke, pulling out a chair and sitting in it, before him, lay dozens of folders, spread across the table top.  
"With you?" She hadn't moved from her stop, she didn't know what to think of the situation. "Why?"

Bane continued to study her before speaking, his voice even. "You will be made an example of, but first I must break you. You have a fiery spirit and it needs to be put out. Until you are broken to my satisfaction, you will stay with me." He then turned to his folders, picking one up and intently reading the contents.

"So I'm just to stay here, doing nothing, like…" She paused for a moment before speaking again, "like your pet?" She could feel her anger rising as she stared at Bane. He continued reading for a moment before slowly closing the folder.

"In a way, yes, but I should hope you are to do something better with your time that to just sit around and do nothing."

She didn't know how or when it happened, but it was then that she realized it. She had become Bane's new toy, his pet, and she had a feeling he liked to break his toys.


	4. Punishment

It had been a few days since Bane had taken her in as his_ pet_. They had fallen into a routine, Bane would leave sometime during the morning then return not long after lunch. Once he entered, he would observe Sophia for a moment before going to his folders. It had annoyed her at first, she didn't like him watching her, now she ignores him. She wondered what he was thinking, he hadn't done anything and she was starting to think he wasn't going to.

A ding sounded at the elevator. She and Bane turned to look. Bane stood quickly, apparently he wasn't expecting any visitors. As the doors slid open, Bane relaxed. Sophia leaned to the side, looking around Bane's massive body, before him stood the same man who had betrayed her.

"Barsad," Bane nodded to the man, "why brings you here?"

Barsad nodded to Bane, "Sir, another rebellion has broken out. Most of them the same people who rebelled with her." His eyes shifted towards Sophia. She sat up a little straighter, now more interested in the conversation.

"How many?" Bane had turned, his eyes burning into Sophia.

"A little over a hundred, sir." Bane nodded at this. Sophia couldn't help but laugh.

"What do you find so amusing, little one?" He asked, a warning in his tone.

Sophia stood up, feeling a sense of power since even though she wasn't there, her rebellion raged on. "Don't you see? Even without me leading the rebellion, people don't like what you've done to the city. The people want their city back and you're the main thing keeping them from getting it. They hate you, they think you are a monster. A tyrant." As she spoke, Bane started slowly moving towards her but she didn't care.

A sharp pain exploded across the left side of her face, sending her to the floor. She sat on the floor stunned, she hand cradling her face. It took her a moment to realize that Bane had hit her, slapped her. She looked up, Bane standing over her, anger burning in his eyes.

"You will not speak to me in such a tone. I have been lenient the past few days. Apparently I have been to kind. I will have to teach you your place."

Sophia glared at him, how dare he touch her, how dare he inflict pain upon her. She stood slowly, not backing away from the monster that stood before her, they stood there for a moment before Bane turned, walking towards the elevator.

"I will return soon, then you will be punished." With that, Bane left, leaving her standing in the living room, her cheek throbbing in pain. She knew it would bruise, it would probably still hurt tomorrow too, but if that's the worse he would do then she would be fine. She had a feeling that what was to come would be much worse, that Bane was a man of action rather than words.

She stood staring at the elevator before turning and walking to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror. Her cheek was red and it was beginning to swell slightly, a cold washcloth would fix that. She grabbed a hand towel from under the sink and rinsed it under the cold water, gently placing it against her face.

She stared in the mirror, looking at what she had become. She blonde hair was slightly messy, she ran her fingers through them, taking some of the knots out. Her eyes hadn't changed, which was a good thing, you could see everything in a persons eyes and she kept her eyes closed, no one was allowed to see in without her permission.

How had this happened? She use to be a quiet girl, a girl who did her work like she was suppose to, did what she was asked. She loved her parents, was always with her friends, but when the revolution happened, everything changed. Her friends went into hiding, her parents went missing, and she had started a rebellion, something she would have never done before. She was changing and she liked what she saw.

She went to the bedroom, the wet cloth still against her cheek, and laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Now, she waited.

Bane returned home around eight. It had been a long night, the rebels wouldn't stop fighting easily, but with some force, they backed down. He looked towards Sophia's room to see that her light was still on, he walked towards her room, thinking of a possible punishment.

Sophia heard the elevator ding, but didn't move. If he wanted her, he could come and get her. She continued staring at the ceiling, she had thrown the rag away long ago. She saw Bane walk in but refused to look at him. He stood there a moment before stepping forward.

"Stand." He said the word forcefully, he wanted her to do what he wanted, to follow orders. She wouldn't. As she lay there, Bane grew impatient, she would be a difficult one to break, but that made it more challenging, and he liked challenges. He reached forward, trying to grab her arm, but Sophia rolled away, landing in a crouch on the other side of the bed.

"You are trying my patience, little one." He moved around the bed, standing before the small girl before him. She stood, glaring up at the towering man. He quickly reached out, giving her no time to react. He grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her roughly towards him. He grabbed her chin and tilted her head back, looking her in the eyes.

"How could such a little thing inspire so many people?" He asked to no one in particular.

"Words are a powerful thing." Sophia spat, trying to wiggle free from him.

"Indeed, they are. Maybe I should just take the ability to speak away from you." His fingers tightened around her chin, making her jaw ache. "But what fun would that be? Your retorts amuse me."

He shoved her backwards, causing her to collide with the wall. Sophia's back arched in pain, a small whimper escaping her lips. He walked slowly towards her, reaching down and grabbing a fist full of hair then dragged her out of the room to the kitchen. Sophia grabbed at his hand, she could feel some of her hair being ripped out.

She looked towards the counter and saw a small wooden contraption with a hole through the middle and a screw through the top. She started to struggle more than ever, she had seen that contraption in her history classes when she was younger, it was used to punish slaves.

"Don't worry, my dear, it won't leave any permanent scars." His voice was grave, unwavering. Bane lifted Sophia so that she was standing on her feet, then wrapped his arm around hers, his other hand grabbing her small on.

"Bane no! Please, please don't do this." She was struggling hard than before, hitting Bane and trying to pull way, but nothing fazed him. Bane pulled her hand forward, placing her thumb into the contraption. With one hand he held her there and with the other, he began to tighten the screw.

It wasn't long before she felt a slight prick over her thumb nail. Her attempts to escape his grasp were useless, she wasn't strong enough to break free from him. As he continued to screw the nail in, the pain became more and more sharp. Soon, Sophia was screaming in pain as the screw pierced though her nail and into the sensitive flesh under her nail. Tears streamed down her face as she begged him to stop. The pain was unbearable and she wanted it to stop.

Bane then stopped, unscrewing the nail from her thumb and releasing her hand. Sophia fell away from Bane, cradling her hand to her chest, watching as blood slowly flowed from the injury.

"You bastard." She growled, sliding across the floor away from the monster that stood before her.

"Have you not learned your lesson, little one?" He asked, taking a step towards her, Sophia slide faster across the floor.

"Don't you come near me!" She screamed, she back hitting a wall, he couldn't get any farther away from him.

She heard him chuckle slightly. "Your punishment is complete, I hope you have learned a valuable lesson." He walked away, leaving her on the floor. The tears had slowed but they hadn't stopped. She stood shakily and stumbled to the bathroom.

She finally looked down at her finger, there was a hold through her nail and thumb, it didn't go completely through, just half way. She turned on the sink and turned it as cold as it could possibly go. She hesitated a moment before shoving her finger under the water. Sophia hissed at the pain, allowing the water to wash away the blood. She bite her lip, willing herself not to scream. She looked it the cabinet above the sink and found some bandages. She grabbed a pack and gingerly wrapped her thumb.

She then stuck her head out of the bathroom, not seeing Bane, she ran across the hall to her room. She crawled into bed and continued to cradle her hand, silent tears streaming down her face.

This wouldn't break her. No. The experience would make her stronger. She wouldn't break so easily, she would fight. Bane would have his hands full with her.

She started to sing silently, something she did when she was younger when she was troubled or in pain. Her voice quietly filling the air around her.

_"What a shame we all become,_  
_such fragile, broken things_  
_the memory remains, _  
_just a tiny spark._  
_I give it all my oxygen,_  
_so let the flames begin..."_

__She felt herself starting to calm, and slowly drifted to sleep.

Bane stood outside the girl's door, silently listening to her cries. He noticed when the tears stopped and the singing began.

_"I give it all my oxygen,_  
_So let the flames begin..."_

He smiled at the pun. She was definitely interesting. This would be more entertaining than he had initially thought.

**Author's Notes: The song is Let the flames Begin by Paramore. Please, let me know what you think and if you have any ideas that can help out the story or anything!**


	5. The Courthouse

Sophia awoke the next morning, her thumb throbbing painfully, she dared not move it. She rolled over on her side and notice a bottle of ibuprofen on a dress next to her bed. She reached out a grabbed the note next to it, the hand writing was neat and slightly slanted.  
Take only when in pain.

She rolled her eyes, "No, I'll take it whenever I feel hungry." She knew who wrote the note, who else would? She pulled herself out of bed, taking the bottle of pills and the comforter with her. She pulled the comforter around her shoulders and walked out of the room. Bane sat at the kitchen table, watching her as she walked into the room.

"Good morning." His voice boomed, he seemed to be in a good mood. Sophia grunted at him, walking to the cabinet and grabbing a glass. She turned on the sink and filled the glass. She took two pills from the bottle and threw them in her mouth, taking a gulp of water to wash them down. Sophia placed the glass on the counter then went to the fridge, grabbing an apple, then sat across the table from Bane, crossing her legs.

Bane watched her, slightly amazed that she wasn't in the slightest bit fazed by what happened last night, but he didn't let her see it. Sophia glared at Bane, her eyes never leaving him as she continued to eat her apple.

Finally, Bane spoke, "you will be coming with me today."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, "is that so?"

"Get dressed, we will be leaving in thirty minutes." Bane stood, gathering a few of the files laid out on the table.

"And if I don't want to go?" Bane stopped and looked up at the young girl before him.

"Do you want a repeat of last night, little one?" His eyes squinted at her slightly.

With those words, Sophia paused in mid bite of the apple. She shifted her eyes to the side, contemplating what she was just told. Slowly, she stood and walked towards her room. She grabbed a plain black t-shirt and a pair of worn blue jeans, all provided for her by Bane. She walked out of her room, throwing the apple core into the trash can.

She looked over at Bane, he was holding out a jacket to her. It was a grey, double breasted jacket with a fairly large hood. She took it quietly, looking at Bane in confusion.

"It's getting cold outside." He said pointedly, turning from her and walking into the elevator, his leather jacket draped over his muscular arm. She followed, slipping the jacket on as she walked.

It was a quiet ride in the elevator, Sophia's brain was working overtime, thinking of ways she could possibly escape. As they stepped out of the elevator, she quickly surveyed her surroundings, there wasn't much, it was the lobby of any typical hotel.

Bane looked down at her, noticing her eyes shifting all around, he knew what she was doing.

"If you run, I will kill every person between you and me. Every child, mother, father, grandparent, everyone. Do you understand me?" His voice held a threatening tone to it, one she knew was more than a threat, it was a promise.

He lead her to the parking garage, to the same motorcycle he brought her here on. Bane gestured from her to get on and she did, not looking as Bane climbed on as well. She leaned forward again, trying her best not to touch him.

Sophia felt the motorcycle roar to life beneath her and Bane back the bike out. It wasn't until she was driving down the streets that the real cold hit her. The air whipped against her face, it felt like ice was plowing against her. She lifted the hood of her jacket and leaned farther forward, away from the warm temptation of Bane's body heat.

It wasn't long before they pulled in front of a court house, one Sophia had passed a lot when she roamed the city. Bane parked the bike out front, watching as Sophia quickly climbed off the bike.

"Why are we here?" She asked, rubbing her hands together to regain a little heat.

"You will see soon enough." Bane rumbled, walking towards the court house. He paused when Sophia didn't follow, his eyes shifted towards her, cold and merciless. "Come."

He spoke to her as if she were a dog, and Sophia didn't like it. She planted her feet firmly and crossing her arms.

"I will most certainly not 'come'." She growled, watching Bane's anger start to flair. "Why are we here?"

Bane strode forward, stopping in front of Sophia and leaning down so his face was inches away from hers. "To teach you."

He grabbed her forearm firmly and walked towards the courthouse, Sophia walking quickly behind him to keep from falling to far behind. Once the doors of the courthouse opened, a warm burst of air enveloped Sophia and Bane, she sighed at the warmth.

In front of her was a crowd of people, yelling and jeering at someone in the center of the group. Before the group was a large stack of books and desks, and sitting at the top was a man she knew all to well.

"Scarecrow." She whispered, Bane could hear the hint of fear in her voice. He gently shoved her forward towards the crowd, seeing a well dressed man sitting in a chair in the center of the room.

The Scarecrow, Jonathan Crane, leaned in towards the man, a gavel held in his hand. "So which shall it be? Death or exile?"

The man fidgeted in the chair, looking around the room for some help from someone. "I… I, um… I choose exile." The man stammered, wringing his hands as he stared at the floor.

Scarecrow then pounded the gavel, making the man flinch as the harsh sound. "Very well, for your crimes of greed against Gotham, you will be exile. Take him away." Sophia watched in disgust and horror as they dragged the man away. He was begging for someone to help him but all he got in return was jeers and screams of hatred.

"What's happening here?" Sophia asked in disbelief as the Scarecrow called for another person to be brought in.

"Judgment." Bane's rumbling voice replied. Sophia watched as they brought forward a young, but well dressed woman, and a spark of recognition ignited in the back of her mind. She continued to stare at the woman, trying to figure out where she recognized her from as the Scarecrow continued yelling at her. Then it hit her, this woman had helped her, just as she had helped many of the other people of Gotham.

"Death or Exile Mrs. Pond." Crane asked, readjusting the glasses that sat upon his nose.

"Death." The woman replied instantly, her posture straightening slightly.

"Very well, death it is." Crane hit the gavel against the desk, "by exile."

Sophia stood in disbelief. How could they kill a woman who had helped so many. Before she could think, she stepped forward, shouting as he went.

"Wait!" She voice echoed around the room, instantly silencing the crowd that stood around Mrs. Pond.

"Is there something you wish to say?" Jonathan Crane asked, a look of annoyance on his face.

"How could you exile this woman? She has helped so many people, saved so many lives and for all her good deeds, you wish her dead?" Sophia yelled, looking around the group of people.

"I know of no good deeds this woman has committed, only of the greed that lies within her heart." Scarecrow said, leaning back in his chair.  
"You call compassion greed? You call charity greed? You call generosity greed? If this is what you consider greed then you are sadly mistaken." She looked down at the girl next to her, she was staring at Sophia, a silent thank you clear in her eyes. "This woman has helped many people and probably a few in this room." Sophia shouted, her voice rising in power.

"What she says is true." A person behind them spoke. Sophia turned to see an elder man standing amongst the group. "When I couldn't afford to pay for my hip replacement, she paid for it all, never asking anything from me in return."

"But she lives in luxury!" Someone else shouted, their voice disembodied.

"Mrs. Pond is a self made woman, she worked for her money, fighting her way to the top. She knows poverty, she knows what it's like to go day to day with barely enough to make it. Why do you think she helps us? Because she knows how it feels." Sophia felt the woman's hand grab her own and she squeezed lightly, letting the woman know she was there for her.

Jonathan Crane sat atop his desks, glaring down at the young girl who stood beside the rich woman. "Very well, we shall retry this woman." He looked at the crowd and asked the question. " Should Mrs. Pond live? Or is it Death?"

The crowd was silent until the elder man started to chant. "Live, live, live." Soon more and more voices joined the chant, adding to it's power.  
"Live, live, live." Sophia smiled down at Mrs. Pond, watching as silent tears slid down the woman's cheeks.

A look of annoyance passed across Crane's face before he hit the gavel against the table. "You have been declared innocent of your crimes. Take her away."

Mrs. Pond grabbed Sophia's hand in both of hers, kissing the young girl's hand. "Thank you, thank you so much." She continued to thank Sophia even as the guard took her and escorted her out of the courthouse.

"You are dismissed as well." Scarecrow glared down at her, not happy about losing a possible exile victim. Sophia glared at him for a moment before walking towards Bane, stopping next to him.

The next person they brought in was a teenage boy, one she knew well. He was a nuisance, always getting arrested. He was one of those rich teenagers who thought they could get away with anything.

"Mr. Peaks, do you know why you are here?" The young boy looked around, the fear in his eyes painfully obvious. He shook his head no, looking up at the man who sat before him.

"You are brought here for your crimes of greed against the city of Gotham." Crane said, watching the young man squirm with wicked glee. "Let's let the people of Gotham decide your fate." He looked towards the crowd, gesturing for them to decide.

The crowd started yelling, but one sentence could be heard above all the rest. Death. Most of the group thought that this young man deserved to die. The young man looked around, panicking, and made eye contact with Sophia, his eyes pleading for help.

She, again, stepped forward, a stubbornness she had never felt before creeping into her mind and body.

"What has someone this young done to deserve death?" Sophia asked, looking around the angry crowd. "He is but a teenager, what could he have done that was so bad that he deserves death?"

This time, a woman stepped forward, anger written across her face. "You want to know what this child has done?" She spat the words at him, at the sight of the woman, the boy flinched. "This boy attacked and rapped by daughter." Sophia could see the tears threatening to fall from the woman's eyes. "My daughter survived, but she was broken, damaged. She wasn't the same. Come to find out a few months later that she was pregnant with his baby." She shouted the last two words, shoving a finger towards him. "She was devastated by the news. One day I return home, calling out to my daughter, and there was no reply." No the tears were falling, but the woman continued to speak. "I walk into her room and find her hanging from the ceiling. She killed herself. She couldn't stand that she had been rapped but the idea of having his child pushed her over the edge. My daughter was seventeen when she died and he was never convicted."

Sophia looked down at the boy in front of her, she could see the silent tears falling from his eyes. He looked towards the woman, "I'm so sorry." He spoke quietly, but just loud enough for the woman to hear.

"I will never forgive you." She growled.

"Death or exile?" Crane shouted, leaning forward over the desk.

The chant had begun, this one not as pleasant as the other. "Death, death, death, death." The chant echoed through the air as the boy sat crying in the chair.

"No, he's just a child! He can learn, he can change!"

The chant continued on, "death, death, death." It continued to grow louder as two armed men stepped forward, grabbing the boy and shoving him to his knees.

Sophia continued to yell, her voiced drowned out by the chanting of the crowd. Two people held her back as a knife was brought up to the boys throat.

"No! Don't! If you kill him your just becoming a murderer yourself! Please, he can change!" She yelled, struggling against the people who held her.

The one woman's voice could be heard above all the other's, chanting louder than anyone else. "Death, death, death."

Sophia screamed as the knife was brought across the boys throat, his scream cut short. She watched as the boy reached up, trying to keep his precious blood from leaving his body. He fell forward, a gurgling noise coming from his throat. After a moment, he stopped moving.

Sophia wiggled free of the two people holding her and ran to the boy. She didn't know what to do, a young boy was murdered by a maniac, bloodthirsty crowd. She kneeled down next to the boy, his blood staining her pants. She knew he was long gone, there was nothing she could do to save him.

Her body went numb as some men stepped forward, grabbing the lifeless body of the boy and dragging him away from her. She watched in shock as they dragged him away. She looked up just as they brought in another person for trial.

**Author's notes: Please stop saying I am copying someone. I am not. I have read a lot of fanfiction's with Bane and a few have influenced me but I have not outright copied anyone. A lot of fanfiction's have had it where Bane has taken his captive to the courthouse and has threatened said captive if they try to run. I'm sure Bane would probably do both of those if he were real anyways.**


	6. Gifts

Sophia felt some of the people around her grab her and drag her away from the chair that sat in the middle of the room. They no longer wanted her there interrupting their mock trials. She didn't fight against the hands that pulled her away from the blood stained floor, she happily let them take her away.

When the people had taken her far enough away, they set her down and left her there. Sophia sat with her feet pulled up to her chest, her eyes watching everything but seeing nothing.

Bane watched as the crowd pulled her away and left her on the floor. He stood there, watching her for a moment before advancing towards her. "Do you see now, why I brought you here?" Bane asked as he stopped in front of her.

"To show me what people are truly like. That without control, people are monsters." She asked, her eyes never finding Bane.

"In a way, indeed." He held out his hand to Sophia, waiting patiently for her to take it. When she didn't, he reached down and grabbed her upper arm, pulling her to her feet.

Sophia didn't remember the ride back to the condo, her mind floated elsewhere. To the courthouse, the her punishment for defying Bane, to her life before all of this. She frowned to herself as Bane led her to the elevator.

Once they reached the condo, Sophia stepped out of the elevator and stopped.

"I want a guitar and a notepad, and a sketchbook too." Sophia looked up, to see Bane looking at her, his eyes calculating. He tilted his head slightly, processing what was just said and what to do with it.

"Very well, I will have these items brought to you tomorrow." Bane answered before turning away and walking into his room, closing the door behind him. Sophia watched the door for a moment then walked to her own room.

She refused to sleep, fearing what dreams would haunt her if she did. She stayed up as late as she would, knowing the later she stayed up and the less sleep she got, the less likely she was to dream. She wrung her hands together, trying to do anything to keep herself away. She paced her room until her legs where so tired she had to sit down. She looked at the alarm clock next to her bed and saw it was already three in the morning. It wouldn't be much longer until Bane woke up.

Two hours later, she could hear him walking around quietly, rummaging through the kitchen.

Sophia waited for another hour before walking out, seeing Bane sitting at the kitchen counter with a book resting open in front of him. He turned the page and continued reading as Sophia reached into the fridge and grabbed an apple.

"How did you sleep?" He asked, turning another page to his book.

"You know damn well how I slept." She grumbled, taking an angry bite from her apple.

"Watch your tone little one, I am not to blame for whatever images your mind conjures in your dreams."

Sophia glared at him, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say. He was right, it wasn't his fault, but she needed to blame someone. She continued eating her apple, even after Bane had left the apartment as he usually did.

Sophia was trying to be some what productive that day. She cooked herself some lunch, worked out for a little while, then started reading the book Bane had been reading earlier. Hamlet. She never really liked the book. Tragedies were never really her thing, Hamlet had brought upon himself his own downfall and she always thought he deserved it.

When Bane returned home, he was carrying a guitar and a small book bag. He dropped both in front of Sophia before sitting before her.  
"Here you are little one, now what do you plan to do with them?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Sophia watched him a moment, hearing the hiss of his mask every time he inhaled, before speaking. "Whatever I want." Her reply was curt.

Bane chuckled softly, startling Sophia in the process. This was the first genuine laugh she had heard out of him. It was a deep laugh, distorted by the mask the hid his true face. Sophia reached out and opened the bag, finding a green notebook, a sketchbook, as well as a few pencils. She grabbed the pencils and the sketchpad and sat back in her chair, staring hard at Bane before turning back to the paper.

Her hand moved quickly, as she scribble across the page, Bane sat staring at her as she drew the picture, waiting for her to finish. It took a while, but when she set the pencil down, Bane held his hand out, demanding the sketchbook.

"No." Sophia stated simple, holding the sketchbook to her chest. Bane continued to hold his hand out for a few seconds more before letting it drop.

"Very well, for may keep it's contents a secret for now." One that note, Sophia stood, grabbing the things Bane had brought her and going to her room.

She would get her frustrations out, her fears, her worries, the best way she new how. Being creative. She would write her songs, draw her pictures until she hand nothing left to convey on paper or through words.

**Author's notes: Sorry for the wait. Been a very busy week. So here's the next chapter. the drawing part inspired by myself, when I'm frustrated or upset I usually draw what I'm feeling. The angrier the darker the lines, the happier, the softer the lines, etc. Hope you like it. She will be writing some songs soon, not my own, by bands and what not. If you have any ideas for songs or anything, let me know. =)**


	7. Born for This

Sophia sat in the kitchen, eating an apple she had grabbed from the fridge. She stared at Bane, who sat across from her at the table, his hands clasped together and resting in front of him on the table. He was staring back at Sophia, studying her as he usually did.

"Do you find something interesting, little one?" He asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"I was about to ask you the same question." She said, calmly continuing to watch the massive man before her. He shifted slightly before standing, Sophia's eyes never leaving his.

"I must take my leave." He said calmly, turning from her and walking towards the elevator.

"Sir, you cannot take from me what I would rightfully give." Sophia replied.

Bane turned towards her slightly, his eyes crinkled in what she assumed was a smile. "You have been reading." He stated, looking towards the _Hamlet_ book that sat on the counter.

"Indeed I have." She said, waiting patiently for him to leave. Bane turned towards the elevator once more.

"I expect to be home late." He said, watching Sophia with interested eyes.

"Fine by me." She replied, resting her cheek on her hand. Bane continued to watch her from the elevator until the doors slid shut. With that, Sophia stood and walked towards her room, grabbing her guitar, notebook, and a pencil, then walked slowly back to the living room, settling herself into the couch. She wiggled around for a moment, before find the right position then placed her guitar into her arms.

She sat there for hours, passing the time writing song after song, letting out everything she felt. She didn't even hear the elevator when Bane had returned home. She had just finished another song and was going over it one more time when Bane walked up behind her and listened quietly.

_"Oh no, I just keep on falling,_  
_Back to the same old…_  
_And where's hope when misery comes crawling,_  
_Oh, my way, ay._  
_With your faith you'll trigger a landslide,_  
_Victory,_  
_To kill off this common sense of mind._

_It takes acquired minds to taste, to taste, to taste this wine._  
_You can't down it with your eyes,_  
_So we don't need your headlines._  
_We don't need your headlines,_  
_We just want…_

_We want the airwaves back,_  
_We want the airwaves back._

_Everybody sing, likes it the last song you will ever sing._  
_Tell me, tell me, do you feel the pressure now?_  
_Everybody live, like it's the last day you will ever see._  
_Tell me, tell me, do you feel the pressure now?_

_Right now, you're the only reason,_  
_I'm not letting go, oh…_  
_And time out if everyone's worth pleasing,_  
_Well ha-ha._  
_You'll trigger a landslide,_  
_Victory,_  
_To kill off their finite state of mind._

_It takes acquired minds to taste, to taste, to taste this wine._  
_You can't down it with your eyes,_  
_So we don't need your headlines._  
_We don't need your headlines,_  
_We just want…_

_We want the airwaves back,_  
_We want the airwaves back._

_Everybody sing, likes it the last song you will ever sing._  
_Tell me, tell me, do you feel the pressure now?_  
_Everybody live, like it's the last day you will ever see._  
_Tell me, tell me, do you feel the pressure now?_  
_Everybody sing, likes it the last song you will ever sing._  
_Tell me, tell me, do you feel the pressure?_

_Alright so you think your ready?_  
_Ok, then say this with me, go!_  
_We were born for this,_  
_We were born for this…"_

Bane reached down and grabbed her notebook, flipping through the pages. Sophia jumped not expecting the sudden interruption.  
"Give that back!" She yelled, reaching up and trying to grab her notebook back.

"There is a lot of sings about uprising in this, have you not learned your lesson yet, little one?" He asked, throwing the notebook on to the couch.

"Maybe I haven't, maybe I need to be taught another lesson, I mean the other's haven't worked have they?" She yelled, shoving her thumb in his face. "You think pain will get me to listen to you, It will take more than physical pain to make me bow to you. I've experienced worse than this, I can live with a little pain."

Bane stood before her, anger burning in his eyes. "If you attempt another revolution, I will make sure the pain you feel is both physical and mental, you will beg for death, and I will refuse you. I will make sure that the pain that you feel, will never go away.

Sophia glared at Bane, seething, "Or I could hide my pain behind a mask, like you do."

With lightning speed, Bane's hand reached out and grabbed Sophia's neck. He walked forward, slamming her into the wall. "You are trying my patience."

Sophia was seeing red, she was tired of being pushed around by the giant that stood before her, she stared at Bane, then spit in his face. The anger in Bane's eyes flared, this was the angriest she had ever seen him. He threw her across the room, her back slamming into the wall on the other side of the room.

Sophia scrambled to her feet, raising her arms into a defensive position as Bane advanced on her.

"You will learn to obey me." Bane said raising his fist and swinging towards her. Sophia fell, narrowly avoiding his punch. She rolled to the side and pulled herself to her feet, waiting for Bane to come at her again.

Bane's eyebrows raising slightly as he watched the young girl in front of him. Sophia punched at Bane, but he deflected it easily, his fist making contact with her stomach. Sophia gasped as all the air escaped her body, she clasped to her knees, coughing. She looked up at Bane and watched him bring his hand towards her face, then everything went black.

**Author's Notes: Sorry that most of this is a song, but I hope you like it anyways, need some punishment ideas, so if you have any, please do tell. =) Tell me what you think.**


	8. Darkness

Sophia awoke to total darkness, even with her eyes open all she could see was darkness. She attempted to move, but her body was stiff, her hands and feet bound. She struggled, not knowing where she was or what was going on. She screamed, hoping someone or something would find her and save her.

She felt a large hand gently place itself on her shoulder, pushing her to the ground and stopping her futile struggles. A mechanical hiss filled her ear, Sophia shuttered, she knew who was holding her down.

"Maybe I have been to kind." He said quietly, a hint of sadness in his voice. "to lenient maybe, but don't worry my dear, those days are long behind us, you will learn to who is superior." She felt herself being lifted from the ground and thrown over Bane's shoulder.

"Put me down, Bane!" She yelled, again attempting to get free from her bonds. "Bane, I swear if you don't put me down…"

"You'll do what, little one? You are in no position to be making threats." He stated. Sophia could feel the swaying motion every time he took a step, she could feel the muscles in his shoulders and back tense when she struggled and relax when she would stop.

Sophia continued to struggle for a while longer, then gave up, waiting to see where he would take her.

"Why are you keeping me?" Sophia asked quietly. At first she thought Bane hadn't heard her, he was quiet for a long time, then he spoke.  
"To teach a lesson." He said simply.

"Don't lie to me. If you wanted to teach me a lesson, you could have done it by now, if your trying to teach others a lesson you would have just killed me. Why am I still here?" She felt his muscles tense slightly.

"You are innocent." He said, his pace slowing.

"What? What do you mean?" She asked. Trying to shift from her position over his shoulder and failing.

"I want to see how long it will be until your innocence is broken, or whether it can truly survive in a world like the one we live in. Innocence can only be lost, it can never return."

With that, Bane fell silent and so did Sophia. Before long, they arrived at whatever destination Bane had brought her too. He set her on the floor, cut her bonds then walked out. Sophia heard a heavy door close behind him. She removed the cloth covering her eyes only to welcome more darkness.

She screamed in frustration, she didn't like darkness, she didn't like being blind. Yes, it awakened other senses, but she hadn't trained her other sense and she didn't want to start trained them now in an unknown location.

Sophia kicked off her shoes, feeling cold, unforgiving concrete under her feet. Arms extended, she walked forward, waiting for something to make contact with her hand, quickly her fingers scrapped against more concrete. She followed the wall until she walked around the entire room. She was in a concrete cell, with no windows and only one door, which was locked from the outside. She blindly made her way back to the door and screamed again, hitting her fists against it's cold metal frame.

She didn't know how long her did this, but she eventually gave up, wanting to conserve her energy. Who knew when the next time Bane or one of his henchmen would show up with food or water. She continued walking around the cell, looking for something out of place or something that she could open for light, but found nothing. Eventually, made her way back to where she kicked off her shoes and sat down. She would find a way out of this place, she would escape, and she would get away from Bane.

Bane listened as Sophia banged against the door, screaming and cursing him. She was full of fire and he would put it out eventually. He didn't like the feelings that were starting to spring up for the girl, the appreciation and something else he didn't recognize. No one had ever stood up to him like she did. She no longer showed fear towards him, just anger. He would do whatever it took to get rid of this feeling, even if it meant breaking the girl to were she no longer knew who she was. Bane listened for a while longer until Sophia fell silent, then walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

Sophia was at a lose for time. She couldn't tell whether ten minutes or ten hours had passes, everything was distorted., warped. She listened carefully for anything, but heard only silence. She remained calm, she wouldn't let this break her, she wouldn't go insane. Sophia sang to herself, singing the songs she wrote to inspire her that she would break free and wouldn't bow down to Bane.

That's when she heard it, faint at first but rowing louder. Footsteps, they were light, quiet, but definitely not Bane's. They didn't walk with authority or and air of confidence behind it, this person was nervous scared.

A bolt sounded and the door opened quickly, Sophia screamed as the light that flooded the room blinded her eyes. She kept her eyes squinted as they slowly adjusted to the alien light that now invaded the space she had been inhabiting. She looked up to see a scrawny young boy carrying a tray. He stepped forward hesitantly and placed the tray down before Sophia, then stepped back, watching her for a moment.

She must have looked insane, she was sure her clothes were wrinkled and dirty and her hair a crawled forward towards the food and eyed it for a moment then looked up towards the boy.

"How long have a been in here?" She asked, watching the boy. He tensed, looking towards the door.

"I'm sorry miss, I've been instructed not to talk to you." He said, a tremble in his voice.

"Why?" Sophia asked, slowly standing. The boy backed away, edging towards the door.

"He said if I told you anything he would kill me. I don't want to die miss." The closer Sophia got to the boy, the closer the boy got to the door.  
"He threatened to kill you? Why don't you run away?" She asked, slowly getting closer to the child.

"He'll find me miss. I know he will." A high pitch whistle sounded down the hall, the boy jumped and ran out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Sophia ran to the door, slamming her hands against it as she heard the bolt slide back into place.

"No!" She screamed, turning so her back was against the door and she slide to the floor. She crawled across the floor, feeling for the tray of food as she went, eventually her fingers found the edge of the plastic tray. Her let her fingers glide over the food, feeling what was on the plate. A small loaf of bread, a bottle of liquid, probably water, and what she assumed to be an apple.

Sophia ripped off a small chunk of bread, placing a small piece on her tongue and sighing at the relief that flooded her body. She didn't know how long she had been in that prison but she knew she was hungry, starving. No matter how hungry she got she would save this food for as long as she could. Sophia continued walking the room for however much time had passed, looking for something, anything to help her.

Again, she didn't know how much time had past, but she was running low on food when she heard foot steps again. These were different, slightly heavier, but still not Bane. When she heard the bolt unlock, Sophia quickly closed her eyes, waiting for the light to flood the room once more. Once it did, she slowly opened her eyes, letting it adjust to the light. She looked towards the door and saw a muscular man standing in it's frame, a tray of food in his hands, they same as what was on the tray before. He stepped forward, placed the food on the floor then stepped back, watching Sophia with his head tilted slightly. He smiled before exiting the room, the bolt sliding back into place.

A plan started to form in Sophia's mind. Prisoner's made weapons out of the simplest things with time and patience, she would make a weapon to aid in her escape. She grabbed the old plastic tray and turned it in her hand, it was flat except for the slightly raised edges. She started to rub it against the ground, grinding away the side. Sophia worked like this for hours, rubbing the tray along the floor. Eventually, Sophia ran her hand along the edges of the tray, feeling that she had grinded it down to a point.

She would escape the next time food was brought to her, no matter who brought the food, she would be free.

Time passed with no meaning to Sophia and again the footsteps arrived. The same as last time. She waited quietly, pressed into a corner, the makeshift knife in her back pocket. The bolt unlocked and the muscular man walked in, his hands empty. Sophia frowned, wasn't he suppose to have food?

"Bane has kept you in here for a while, hm?" He asked walking towards Sophia, a wicked smile on his face. Sophia stood quickly, her hand reaching for the knife in her pocket. The man lunged, grabbed her hands and throwing her to the floor, he followed quickly, straddling her. Sophia screamed, struggling under the weight of the man on top of her.

"What a shame, your such a pretty thing. I'm surprised he hasn't taken you himself." His hands rubbed along her stomach, slowly moving upwards. Sophia screamed again, begging him to get off, she couldn't reach her knife, he was to heavy, she couldn't shift herself to where she could reach it.

"Yes, just keep begging, I love when they beg." Sophia reached up and punched the man across the face, temporarily stunning him, she shifted her hips as his weight moved from the punch, her hand grasping the knife in her back pocket.

Then, a sharp pain emerged from her outer thigh. She screamed in pain and looked down to see a pocket knife in the hand of her attacker and blood coming from a stab wound in her leg.

"You little Bitch, you'll pay for that." He snarled, leaning in closer to Sophia's face. His lips collided with hers, Sophia tried to turn away but the man grabbed her face and held it there. She was disgusted at this man, that anyone would do something like this. His hand slid up, cupping her breast, Sophia screamed once more, hoping someone would hear her as the mans hand clasped over her mouth.

As he leaning forward again, Sophia brought out the knife, stabbing it into her shoulder. The man reared back in pain, dropping his knife and grabbing at his injured shoulder. Sophia rolled, causing the man to fall from her waist. She stood quickly, keeping as much weight off her injured leg as possible. Limping towards the door, she slammed it shut behind her just as the man collided with it. Sophia struggled to slide the bolt into the lock as the man slammed against the door, cursing at her and saying she'll pay.

Once the door was locked, Sophia looked around, she had no idea where she was, but she was on the first step to freedom. With that thought, she limped down the hall, determined to find a way out.


	9. A Chance at Freedom

Bane was in_ their_ home when the messenger brought him the news. He wasn't able to control his anger, before he could compose himself, his hand shot out and grabbed the messenger by the neck, instantly breaking it. Bane watched coolly as the lifeless body of the man crumpled to the floor. He smiled to himself as he thought of the old saying, don't shoot the messenger.

Bane stormed from the room, pacing the tight space of the elevator as he waited from it to reach ground level. He barely waited for the doors to slide open as he walked from the elevator, his footsteps echoing across the foyer of the building. Many of his workers looked at him but quickly glanced away, seeing his anger.

He found the man in the infirmary, the one that was taking Sophia food. He was sitting on the edge of a cot, his shoulder wrapped up, fresh blood soaking the bandage. The man said he had taken in the food, and Sophia attacked him with a makeshift knife she had made from one of the old trays. Bane saw something in the mans eyes, he was lying, but he would wait to confront him, he would find Sophia first, get her story.

He left the infirmary furious, calling out to his soldiers and telling then to start a search party, if they didn't find her by sundown, he would join the search. He would find her, he was determined too.

Sophia limped into her old apartment, estimating that she had about thirty minutes to find what she needed and get out without being found. This is the first place they would look for her, but if she was lucky, they didn't know she was missing yet.

She walked into her bathroom, grabbing a small sewing kit she kept in the top drawer then went to her closet, grabbing a black backpack. She shoved the sewing kit into it then grabbed a lighter, throwing it in the pack. She then grabbed a random assortment of jeans and shirts, some medical supplies, and grabbed a few necessities before limping back out of the apartment, trying her best to ignore the pain radiating from her leg.

She hobbled around, looking for an abandoned building, sticking to back allies. It wasn't long before she found and old abandoned warehouse that locked from the inside. It looked like it had once been used as a area to train fighters. There was a line of punching bags and some weights around the room. Sophia saw a chair and quickly limped towards it, collapsing with a sigh.

She slung the backpack from her shoulder and searched for the sewing kit and the lighter. Hands shaking, she ignited the lighter, letting its heat sterilize the needle. She ran some black string through the end of the needle, tying off the end. She then poured some peroxide onto the wound in her leg, squeaking slightly from the sting. Taking the needle, she gently pushed it through the skin, gritting her teeth at the pain. Her hands shook uncontrollably from the pain, but she continued to sew up the wound. Once completed, she grabbed some bandages and wrapped her leg.

She leaned back, sighing now that her leg was wrapped. She saw all the training equipment and decided that while her leg healed and while she remained hidden, she would train herself, her body and mind, to fight. She would learn to fight and she would never be overpowered ever again. She would never be caught unprepared, and most importantly, she would take revenge.

Bane sat in their apartment once more, Sophia's notebook and sketch pad laid out in front of him. He flipped through the sketchpad, noticing that a lot of the drawings were of him. The drawings were impeccable, detailed so much that they looked like photographs. There were a few other draws, some of his men and some of forests and waterfalls. He closed the sketchpad and pushed it away, grabbing the lyric filled notebook. He flipped to a random page and started to read.

"Paranoia is in bloom,  
The PR transmissions will resume.  
They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down,  
And they hope that we will never see the truth around.  
So come on,  
Another promise, another scene,  
Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed,  
And all the green belts wrapped around our minds,  
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined.  
So come on!

They will not force us,  
They will stop degrading us.  
They will not control us,  
We will be victorious.  
So come on!"

Bane frowned, he looked at the title at the top. So many names had been written and scratched out, but Sophia finally picked one and it was circled multiply times. _Uprising_. What an appropriate name, he thought to himself.

He looked towards the window, it was nightfall and still none of his men had brought Sophia back to him. He stood, slamming the notebook shut as he did. He would join the search and he would find her, one way or another.

Sophia stood before the punching bag, she weigh shifted away from her injured leg. She looked at it for a moment, watching it, wondering what the best way to hit it was. She leaned forward, throwing all her weight into a wide swing and stumbled forward. She realized quickly that this wasn't the best method at attacking. She put her arms up, standing defensively then jabbed forward, her hand connecting solidly with the punching bag. Sophia smiled to herself, she had found her punching style, quick small jabs that didn't leave her totally open. For the next few hours she practiced, beating mercilessly on the punching bag.

Once she had finally tired herself out, her body was covered in a light coat of sweat. She looked towards the ceiling, watching the sun set through the glass windows that littered the sat back in a chair, watching the sun go down, letting her body relax. She would hide for as long as it took, until her body was strong, until she could fight Bane and get her revenge.

She heard them before she realized who they were. People were coming, looking for someone, they sounded frantic, scared. Sophia grabbed her items and stuffed them in her bag, she then ducked into one of the many lockers that lined the walls of the building. Sophia watched through the slits in the locker, waiting for something to happen. She heard the men pull on the door, rattling it, they conversed for a moment, she heard her name, then they left.

They had confirmed her suspicions, they were looking for her. Bane was angry that she had escaped and he wanted her back. Well he couldn't have her, she would fight for her freedom even if it meant death. There were worse things than death in this world and she didn't want to experience them.

Sophia remained in the locker for a while longer, waiting to make sure that the men had actually left and it wasn't some rouse to lure her out. Once she thought the coast was clear, she slowly climbed out of the locker, closing it quietly behind her.

Over the next few days Sophia trained, honing her fighting skills and flexibility. She knew she was no where near Bane, but she was getting closer. There were more incidents where some of Bane's men would show up but they never found her. She hoped that they would give up the search soon, she needed to go find food and water and if people were searching for her, that would made the task all the more difficult.

Her leg was healing nicely, she cleaned it regularly and put fresh bandages on it. Sophia knew the wound would scar, but it was just a mark to her, something that shows that she was no longer the old Sophia, but a new, improved one.

She found a small t.v. tucked into one of the offices and turned it on. Bane stood on the t.v. screen, his muscles visible through the tight black shirt he wore. He spoke, his voice mechanical and harsh.

"I want you to find this girl," he held up her sketchpad, a perfect replica of her face sketched across the page, a drawing she had done when she noticed she was changing. "Bring her to me alive and you will receive an award. Death and you will receive punishment, death. Go forth and bring her to me."

Sophia stared at the screen, anger slowly boiling inside her. She stood quickly, grabbing the closest thing to her and throwing it across the room, a scream of frustration ripped from her throat. How could he? He just turned everyone in the city against her, now there was no way she could go out in public without someone noticing her. She yelled again, her hands running through her hair as she paced the room.

She had never thought of Bane as the kind of person who would ask an entire city to help him find one person, especially a city who he personally caused to fall into hell. She looked towards her supplies of food and water, there wasn't much left. She would have to make a decision soon: go get food or starve.

Sophia decided she would hold up for as long as she could, then she would go get what she needed, hopefully, without getting caught.

**Author's notes: Let me know what you think! Hope you all like it. Will Sophia's hiding place be compromised? Will someone find her? Who knows!? I do! But you'll have to wait to the next chapter to find out.**


	10. Finally Free

Bane stood in the middle of the street, looking around him. His chest felt like their was a hole in it, something was missing, a hole that he filled with anger. He wouldn't let her have control over him, he couldn't, there was a plan and he had to stick to it. He inhaled deeply then slowly let it out, then looked towards the mercenaries standing around him. "Find her."

Sophia grabbed the oversized hoodie she found in one of the many lockers and pulled it over her head, then pulled her hair back into a tight bun, letting her bangs fall in front of her face. She then pulled the hood over her head and looked into a mirror. It wasn't the best disguise, but it would have to do.

She quietly opened the door she had kept locked for so long and peeked her head out, looking around before opening the door completely. She stepped out of the building, inhaling sharply at the fresh air that filled her lungs. She didn't like being indoors, she hated it. She carefully slid the door closed behind her, checking over her shoulder before walking away.

Sophia shoved her hands into the front pocket of the hoodie, keeping her head down. She passed a few people, but not a lot, they were in a rural part of Gotham, one not frequented by people often. She turned a corner and saw a group of men, surrounding a girl. One of them held her face, turning left and right while examining a piece of paper in their hand.

"No man, it's not her." The one holder her face stated, releasing the girl. A man standing to the side with his arms crossed growled.  
"We've been looking for days, how can one girl avoid so many?" He looked back down at the girl trembling on the ground before him. "No reason to let this pretty little girl go to waste, right?" He asked, a cruel smile forming on his face. The girl whimpered, trying to back away only to run into a wall. He man reached out, grabbing the girls forearm and pulling her towards him, wrapping his arms around her.

"What's wrong sweetie? We not good enough for you?" He asked, laughing loudly as he shoved the girl to the ground. Sophia walked forward her, head down and hands still in her pocket.

"Leave the girl alone." She said quietly, a threatening tone underlying in her voice. The men stopped and turned towards her.

"Look, another one." One of the men shouted. A few stepped forward, surrounding Sophia, but she didn't move, she wouldn't leave this girl to defend herself like she was.

"I said leave her alone." Sophia said, not budging from her spot.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" The leader stepped forward, standing in front of Sophia, he leaned in, his face inches from hers. "Why do you hide your face sweetie? You should let us see what you look like." His smile grew as he reached forward, moving to grab Sophia by the chin. She reacted quickly, her hand shooting out from the pocket of the hoodie and grabbing the man by the wrist, twisting his hand. Her other hand reached out and grabbed the man's forearm, twisting him further until her was facing away from Sophia, his face distorted in pain. Sophia was starting to feel thankful for studying the pressure points of the body when she was little. Her hands released the man as she brought her foot up and kicked the man forward, causing him to fall face first into the ground.

"Not so much fun when it's happening to you, is it?" Sophia asked, turning her head slightly to look at the men standing around her.  
The leader stood, holding his nose as blood gushed out of it, she knew she had broken his nose the moment his face connected with the concrete.

"Don't just stand there! Get her!" He yelled, his voice nasally. Sophia smiled to herself, normal people weren't hard to beat, people like Bane were a bigger challenge. She remembered when she was little, her parents put her in a few karate classes because of where they lived, the shady part of Gotham. She went to enough lessons to learn a few things, but the lessons didn't continue very long, eventually, she stopped going.

Two men stepped forward, reaching out to grab Sophia's arms, she ducked, swinging one of her legs out knocking one of the men over, standing quickly, she brought the palm of her hand to connect with the nose of the other man. She watched him reach up to him nose, fall to the ground, then stop moving. She turned towards the other men who hesitated to come towards her. One stepped forward only to have his arm twisted behind him back and ultimately broken. After that, the remaining two fled, followed by their leader.

Sophia dusted her hands off on her jeans then turned to the girl who still sat on the ground, trembling in fear.

"Don't worry honey, I won't hurt you." The girl had to be out nineteen, still just a child in Sophia's opinion. The girl looked up, tears in her eyes.  
"Thank you so much." She said, standing shakily.

"Get out of here, this is a bad place to be." Sophia said quietly, placing her hand on the girls shoulder. The girl nodded before turned and running, never looking back. Sophia sighed inwardly, she shouldn't have done that, it was stupid and dangerous. If she had been overwhelmed, they could have found out who she was, she could be back with Bane. She mentally slapped herself before continuing on her way.

Three men stood before Bane, ones face bloodied, telling him everything that had happened. Them searching for the girl only to be attacked and driven off by some hooded woman. Bane didn't have time for such foolish nonsense, but he guessed he needed to investigate it, he didn't need someone going around building hope for the people and helping them to take back their city. Bane turned towards four mercenaries that stood by and waved them over, indicating that they follow. "Take me to where you were attacked."

Sophia had gotten a few waters and some canned food from the store, still sneaking around avoiding whoever she could. She walked quickly back to the warehouse she now called home, setting the food items down and turning back to open the door. She swung it wide, not noticing the figures in the shadows until it was too late. The men jumped out, grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her back, forcing her to her knees. She looked up, the hood still hiding her face, and watched as the monster stepped forward slowly, taking his time.

"So you are the one who is attacking the citizens of Gotham? Punishing them for helping me?" Bane asked, stopping not far from Sophia and glaring down at her. She dared not look up, knowing her would recognize her if she did.

"Do you not know how to speak?" Bane asked, his boot coming a little closer to her, "maybe this will remind you how." Sophia felt the pain before she registered what happened. Bane's fist collided with her stomach, expelling whatever air was in her lungs. Sophia coughed, trying to gain her breath back.

"Do you expect do help the city? One mere man against a monster like me?" He asked, circling her as his men continued to hold her down. The man from earlier stepped forward, whispering into his ear.

Bane tilted his head to the side, grunting at whatever he heard. "I must apologize, I was misinformed, you are not a man, but a woman." Bane said, stepping forward so he was directly in front of her.

"I must congratulate you, it is not often that a woman of your size can take out four grown men on her own, killing one in the process." Bane squatted before her and Sophia dropped her head farther, continuing to hide her face. "But you must understand, I can't have someone going around inspiring the citizens of Gotham, that's just not possible. You must be punished for what you have done, my dear."

Bane reached forward, grabbing the hood and pulling it back, revealing the face of the young girl who kneeled before him.


	11. Over and Over

Bane's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at Sophia but she eyes remained downcast, she wouldn't make eye contact. He felt the hole that he filled with anger empty and refill with that unfamiliar feeling. Sophia shifted her weight slightly, her eyes never leaving his feet. He grabbed her chin, forcing her face to towards his, her eyes averted yet again.

"You weren't gone very long little one, did you miss me?" He asked, his voice barely more than a whispered. Sophia sneered, trying to pull her face away from his grasp but only causing him to tighten his grip. He tilted her head to the left and right, studying her face. "You fought four men and there is not a scratch on you. What have you been doing out of my company, little one?"

Sophia growled at the monster of a man standing before her, "nothing different, just honing some of my old skills that I lost contact with." Her eyes finally meet his and she saw defiance there. His time apart from him only man her more defiant of him. She saw his eyes crinkle in what she assumed was a smile.

"Then show me what you learned or, at least, remembered." Bane released her face, stepped back, and held his arms wide. The men holding Sophia released her, shoving her to the ground. She caught herself and looked up at Bane who was still smiling.

Sophia stood and yelled, charging at him. Bane waited patiently as the young girl ran towards him. She drew up her fist, bringing it back and pushing it forward quickly. Bane's had grabbed hers, his fist completely covering hers. He tilted his head, looking her up and down.  
"You seem angry." He stated, pushing her back roughly. Sophia could feel the pure hatred building in her chest, her hands clenching at her sides and she stood once more. She stood with her feet slightly apart, her arms up, waiting.

Bane chuckled, taking a step forward. "Do you want me to attack you? I will not hold back." Sophia didn't move, she only watched him intently, looking for the slight movements in the body telling her what he was going to do next.

Bane lunged forward, his feet gliding across the floor as he advanced towards Sophia. She rolled sideways, looking for a weapon to use against the giant she was fighting. She saw them across the room, the chains that had fallen from the worn out ceiling long ago. She quickly looked towards Bane, seeing he was coming after her again. She ran, hoping to reach the chains before he reached her. She jumped, sliding across the floor, her hands grasping the end of the chain. As she went to stand, she felt a hand wrap across her foot, pulling her back across the floor. Sophia screamed as Bane flipped her over so she lay on her back.

Bane's eyes were a bright green, anger written across his face. He lifted his foot, slamming it down towards Sophia's stomach. She rolled, panic building in the put of her stomach. He could kill her, she wasn't strong enough to beat him and she knew it.

Sophia rolled to her feet, whipping the chain back then letting it fly forward. Bane lifted his arm, blocking the chain as it wrapped around his wrist.

"My dear, why is it that you flee? You will never win a fight if you keep running." Bane walked forward, the chain still wrapped around his wrist, the other end held tightly in Sophia's hand. Sophia hooked the chain under her feet and pushed down roughly, causing Bane's hand to be pulled down. He barely budged. He yanked his hand back, causing Sophia to slid and lose balance. Bane's hand grabbed hers and slowly started to tighten. At first her wrist started popping, then it cracked, she screamed as she felt her wrist break. Bane released her, swinging his foot around and hitting her in the stomach, causing her to fall to her back.

Bane stood over her and stared down at her. "You did well, but you could have done better." Sophia saw the chain in her peripheral vision and reached out quickly with her good hand and grabbed it. She whipped it forward, hitting Bane in the side of the face with it. He reached up, grabbing the side of his face that she hit. Bane turned slowly towards her, even angrier than before.

He stepped over her, then dropped to his knees, straddling her. His hands reached out and wrapped around her neck. She felt him slowly increase the pressure as she tried to push him off, ignoring the pain in her broken hand to do so.

Bane could see the fear in her eyes but there was still an underlying defiance in them. He watched as she slowly stopped fighting, her hands falling to the side, then her eyes closed. He released his grip, then leaned forward. He could hear her breath quietly and leaned back. She was still alive. He would make her dependant on him, she would grow to love him, worship him maybe, and most of all, fear him.

* * *

_She was dead or so she thought. Sophia couldn't tell, she only saw darkness. Her eyes wouldn't open and her extremities wouldn't move. Then the images appeared, her dreams. She was laying in a plush bed, laying on her side. She felt someone slid into bed next to her and wrap his arm around her. She looked down and saw a large, muscular arm wrapped around her torso. She smiled then rolled over, coming face to face with the monster who kept her prisoner, but she only continued to smile. She didn't understand why she didn't run, why she didn't try to escape. Then the image changed, Gotham was going to hell, everyone was fighting one another, riots breaking out everywhere. Her dreams shifted again, she stood before Bane, she was yelling but she didn't know why. Bane looked at her calmly then reached out, she flinched slightly when his hand caressed her cheek. She tilted her cheek into his hand. Bane said something she couldn't hear then everything went to black once again._

* * *

**Author's notes: Sorry for the short chapter, but I have my reasons. =) Please let me know what you think. Feedback is always welcomed. If there is any particular thing you want to see in the story, please let me know. Your idea will be looked over and considered.**

**Some made an excellent point to me. How do you expect Sophia to beat Bane physically when Batman was destroyed by him. You made an excellent point there. Sophia in no way has the training and skills Batman does, so the chances of beating Bane physically are slim to none.**


	12. Tracker

Sophia awoke with a gasp, her hands flying to her head as a massive headache pounded it's way through her head. She felt herself sway as her vision blurred slightly. She looked around, noticing she was back in the room she use to say in. Confused, Sophia rose, stumbling slightly as she headed towards the door. She peeked her head out, seeing an empty hallway and kitchen.

Keeping her hand against the wall, Sophia walked down the hall, caution in every step. She was careful not to make any sounds as she sneaked into the kitchen. No one was there, the kitchen empty.

She stood there in confusion, after the fight, she was sure she was dead, why was she back here? Why hadn't Bane killed her yet? Or at the very least, some form of punishment? Sophia looked at her hands, tiny cuts and bruises scattered across her hands from her fight with Bane. The chain left a distinctive bruise across the back of her hand. She frowned, looking around the kitchen once more, as if expecting a ghost to appear.

Sophia looked towards the fridge, finally noticing her stomach growling. She walked over a looked inside, noticing some fresh strawberries inside of a bowl, grabbing the bowl, she stuck a strawberry in her mouth and turned, bumping into the massive brick wall of a man who appeared behind her.

Sophia managed to stifle a yelp of surprise as she back stepped into the fridge, looking up at the man who stood before her, a strawberry sticking out of her mouth.

"Why did you stab him?" Sophia looked at Bane dumbfounded, who was he talking about? Then she remembered, the man who attacked her, the one she stabbed and locked in her cell to escape.

"Why?" She felt her voice rising in anger, "Why? He tried to rape me that's why! He attacked me and if it wasn't for the makeshift knife, I'd be dead!" She yelled, snarling at him.

Bane paused, his eyes looking off into the distance, then he looked back at her. "How did you injure your leg?" He asked. Sophia looked down, noticing for the first time that these were not the clothes she wore when she fought Bane.

"You changed me!" She yelled, suddenly feeling very self conscious.

"It had to be done, your clothing was filthy from the fight, I wasn't going to allow you to sleep in clothes like that. Now answer my question." Sophia looked down at her leg, the fresh bandages barely covered by mid-thigh shorts she wore.

"The man stabbed me." Her voice trailed off, remembering what happened in the cell in vivid detail, thankful that it didn't get very far. Bane's eyes became unfocused again, as if his mind was in a totally different place. He turned, walking to the table and sitting down, gesturing to a chair across from him for Sophia to sit in.

Sophia stood where she was, unwilling to be anywhere close to him of her own free will. She could see his facial features change into what she assumed to be a frown, his eyes squinting slightly. "Where did you learn to fight?"

Sophia looked down at the bowl of strawberries in her hands, suddenly losing her appetite. She turned and placed the strawberries back in the fridge, closing it quietly behind her. She turned back to Bane and folded her arms across her chest. "I took a few lessons as a child, my parents wanted me to, the lessons didn't last very long, but I learned a lot in the time I was there, enough to know how to defend myself anyways. I continued to practice even without someone to teach me. Eventually I become to busy to practice and fell out of shape. I remembered everything I learned, I just wasn't as fast as I used to be." She looked up to see Bane studying her, always studying her, as if she was some complicated puzzle to be solved.

"There I much to be learned about you my dear, you are full of surprises." Bane said, interlacing his fingers and learned forward, his elbows on the table.  
"Good luck, I'm not an open book." Sophia said, looking away from Bane and shifting her eyes to the windows. It was a sunny day, beautiful really. The sky was the perfect light blue color, no clouds in the sky, no doubt chilly outside but she didn't mind. She was tired of being trapped inside. Bane stood suddenly and walked into the elevator.

"I will return shortly, behave yourself." With that the doors closed and Sophia was alone once more. She looked around, seeing nothing to do. She hated it here, it bored her and she could never find anything worth doing. She settled on the idea of strengthening her body, not giving up on the idea of some sort of revenge.

She soon found out her hand wasn't broken, just sprained, the cracking sounds were just her knuckles popping from the grip her had on her. Either way, the injury made it harder for her to workout since she didn't have the full use of her hand. She frowned slightly as she carefully pulled her blonde hair back into a messy ponytail. She the lay out on the floor, hooking her feet under the couch, and started some crunches.

She had gone through a few exercises by the time Bane returned, a small object in his hand. He looked over to Sophia, seeing a slight sheen of sweat covering her body. He watched her for a moment longer than he usually would have, then waved Sophia over, his large hand obscuring whatever object he held in it.

Sophia once more refused to move, she continued to sit on the floor, her legs crossed and her good arm propping her up. Bane made an annoyed scoff then walked towards her quickly, his hand reached for Sophia's ankle. She backed away slightly, sliding away from Bane.

"What are you doing?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously. Bane reached for her foot again, but Sophia simply backed away.

"You are wearing my patience thin." He said, standing before her with his arms crossed over his massive chest.

"Maybe you should tell me what your doing, then I might trust you. Might." She said, glaring at him.

"I shouldn't have to tell you everything I do, I am in control of you, not the other way around." He reached forward again, catching Sophia by surprise and grabbing her ankle. He dragged her across the floor towards him and she screamed, kicking out at him. She felt something clasp around her foot then Bane released him grip. Sophia watched him for a moment as he walked away then looked towards her ankle.

A box attached to a metal clasp was hooked onto her leg. She reached down, tugging at it, trying to get it to release it's grip.

"What did you do?" She asked, still trying to get the device off her leg.

"It's a high tech tracking device. Used to track criminals. You won't be able to get it off and even if you manage to find some way to get it off, you will simply set off a beckon to alert me. I will find you and you will be punished. People will die if you remove that anklet."

* * *

**Author's notes: Hello everyone! Hope you like the new chapter. If you've seen white collar, than you know where the tracking device comes from. Let me know what you think!**


	13. Freedom

Sophia stared at the anklet feeling the anger rise in her chest. Now she was being tracked, she couldn't move without Bane knowing what she was doing. The word pet echoed through her head as she looked up at Bane in rage.

"What the hell is this for?" She yelled, reaching down and examining the anklet."

"Just in case you try and run again my dear." Bane watched her carefully, studying her reactions. "You are very crafty little one, I want to keep an eye on you."

Sophia wiggled the anklet, feeling the cold metal pinching her skin, she felt the frown deepen as she continued to study the anklet. It was a small black box attached to a metal band that had locked when he clipped it around her foot. She saw no way of removing it. She assumed it to be remote controlled because she saw no key hole or scanner for easy removal. She growled at the device, feeling like a caged animal, the same feeling like when she was in the dark room.

She saw Bane's eyes crinkle as the quiet growl and turned her glare to him. "You think this is funny? Treating me like some pet? I'm not an animal, I'm human."

Bane looked down at her, his smile still hidden behind his mask. "Your growl tells me otherwise, little one."

Bane left not long after he put the anklet on, telling her she could go as she pleased now, but she couldn't go farther than 3 miles from the apartment, she would get a warning beep from the device, then he would come find her. Sophia sat on the couch moping, the sketchbook in her lap, drawing the device on her ankle.

She looked towards her jacket, then the elevator, then back to the jacket. She thought for a moment before standing quickly, throwing her sketchbook aside and grabbing her jacket. She walked into the elevator and smashed the ground floor button then paced the elevator, waiting for it to reach it's destination. It wasn't long before she heard the ding. The doors slid open and she stepped out into the foyer of the building. A man dressed in dessert camo attire stood behind the main desk, his eyes scanning monitors that sat behind him. He glanced up as she walked out of the elevator, frowned, then looked back to the monitors. Sophia looked around, seeing more men in dessert uniforms, a few watched her suspiciously but none moved towards her. She walked towards the door, seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she started to move faster. Only to be intercepted by Barsad just as she was reaching the door. He stood in front of Sophia, his arms crossed.

"Who let you out of your cage?" He asked, a sideways grin forming on his lips. Sophia narrowed her eyes slightly at the young man who stood before her.

"Bane." She answered shortly, picking up her pant leg and showing him the tracking device on her ankle. Barsad crouched down and grabbed her foot, twisting and turning it to examine the device.

"Hm, you used the best for you." Barsad chuckled, dropping her foot then standing. "Very well, you may leave if you wish to. Be careful, you'll find people to be more cruel than they were before." Sophia saw the honesty in his voice, the genuine care for her safety. She nodded to him then brushed past him, wanting to get out the prison she had been kept in for so long.

* * *

Bane walked the city, his hands holding the lapels of his metal vest, each step as silent as the one before it. He looked around, looking for any signs of rebellious looks or murderous glares, anything that could later become a problem for him. He looked towards a girl who walked quickly past him, a young girl who kept her head down. Her blond hair making a curtain between him and her face. Bane was reminded of Sophia, how different she was from the girl who was the same age as her. Sophia would have walked by with her head held high, she would have even looked at Bane as she passed, a look of defiance on her face.

His mind started to wander, thinking of the things that had happened since he took the girl in. She was crafty, smart, and very resourceful. He liked that. He would have never thought she would make a weapon out of a plastic tray, not only did it take patience, but determination as well. She was a fighter with a strong will, he wasn't surprised she hadn't been broken yet. He felt a ghost of a smile race his lips, then pushed the thoughts away. There wasn't time for such things, he needed to focus on the task at hand, making Gotham pay.

* * *

Sophia inhaled the cold winter air gratefully, happy that she was able to walk around somewhat freely. She looked around the streets of Gotham, they were practically deserted except for a few people walking past quickly before disappearing around a corner or into a alley.

She inhaled again, remembering how long it had been since she had gotten fresh air without having to walk out onto a balcony or worrying about being hunted by Bane or his men.

She started walking, letting her feet carry her whenever they wanted to go, not knowing where she was going. She looked around Gotham as she walked, seeing how empty and quiet the city was compared to what it use to be. The stop lights had stopped working, a few cars littered the road, it was a ghost town to her. She looked around once more, starting to feel a little uncomfortable. She couldn't describe the feeling other than she didn't feel right. Looking behind her, she saw nothing and continued walking.

She listened carefully, making her footsteps as quiet as she could. That's when she heard it, another pair of feet walking behind her. It wasn't just one pair, but a group, she couldn't tell how many. She looked back again and saw a group of boys, around their twenties hanging around in a circle, they weren't there earlier.

Sophia turned and started to walk faster, crossing her arms over her chest to try and retain some body heat. She heard the footsteps coming closer and continue walking.

"Hey." One of the men yelled, she heard someone break off from the group and run up to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and reacted quickly. She grabbed his hand, quickly finding the pressure point between his thumb and pointer finger. She pressed it hand while twisting his hand, bringing him to his knees.

"Leave me alone." She warned, her voice low.

"You little Bitch." The man growled through gritted teeth. She saw the group coming closer, she had to move quickly. She brought her foot up and connected with the mans stomach, releasing his hand as he fell.

She turned as started to walk as fast as she could. She heard them gather around the man she kicked and help him up. A few called after her, when she didn't turn she heard them pick up the pace into a jog, then a run.

Sophia ran, feeling the cold wind whipping through her hair and lashing at her face. The stab wound in her leg had been healing nicely, but now throbbed slightly as she ran. She could hear the men gaining on her, but her continued to run, hoping she could outlast them or somehow get away. She dared not to look back, she knew from experience it could case you to trip or make you slow down.

That's when she heard it, the beeping. She looked down and saw the tracking device blinking, telling her she had gone to far. Bane would receive the signal she hoped, maybe he would come help her. She didn't know but she hoped he might.

Then she felt a rough hand grab a handful of hair and yank her towards the ground. She fell hard, feeling her head connect with the concrete with a solid thud. She saw stars, her vision blurring slightly as she stared at the sky. Then everything when back into focus and she saw six men standing over her. She reached her hand up to her head, felt something sticky and warm, then withdrew it, finding blood coating her fingers.

One of the men smiled at her hungrily. "Grab her, move her out of sight." He said, standing back as two others stepped forward, one grabbing her arms and the other grabbing her feet. Sophia tried to fight but her arms and legs felt heavy, she found it hard to move. As they moved her, her vision swam, making her feel nauseous.

_'This can't be happening' _She thought, _'not again.'_

* * *

_**Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait everyone! Been very busy with everything that is going on around here! Hope the wait was worth it. Tell me what you think. Hope you like the cliffhanger. Muwhahaha!**  
_


	14. Rescuer

Sophia could feel her arms and legs tingling slightly, she knew that was a good sign. The feeling was returning slowly, she knew she had to do something quickly. She lay on her back from where they dropped her, non to gently, onto the ground. Six men stood above her, all looking down at her with a strange expression on their face. The one she kicked in the stomach fell to his knees, straddling her mid-section.

"All that running didn't do you any good, did it honey?" He breathed. Sophia tried to turn her face away from the putrid scent spilling from his mouth. She felt one of the men kick her foot at those words. No, the running might not have done her any good, she didn't know yet. She flexed her hands, feeling the numbness slowly recede.

"Leave me alone." She said, her voice quiet but strong.

"Now why would we ever want to do that?" The man on top of her asked, grabbing her face roughly and smashing his lips against hers. Sophia's eyes widened in shock at the actions of the man. She then brought both hands up and pushed hard on the mans shoulders, pushing him back. Once he was far enough away, she connected her palm with his nose, instantly breaking it. He reached for his nose as blood began to gush from the wound. He screamed in pain, rearing back and rolling off of Sophia's waist.

She quickly rolled to her feet, regretting the action as soon as her vision swam and nausea filled her body. She looked around, seeing blurry bodies moving towards her. She swung blindly, hitting one of the men solidly in the jaw before two of the grabbed her arms and forced her to her knees.

"You may be more trouble than you're worth." The man with the broken nose growled, his voice nasally.

"You haven't even see the worst of it yet." Sophia whispered, looking up at the man before her.

He watched her for a moment, then brought his fist back, connecting with her cheek. Pain exploded from the point of impact as her head was tossed to the side.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you any manners?" The man sneered, grabbing her by the face.

"Someone has been trying to." She spat, pulling her face away. Her head throbbed from the possibly cracked skull and bruised cheek. The man turned away from her, rubbing his hands together, thinking about something.

"Apparently, this person hasn't been doing a very good job." With the last word, he turned quickly, his fist connecting with Sophia's stomach. She coughed as she gasped for breath, a laugh forming in her throat.

"You have no idea, I'm just a tough nut to crack." She laughed slightly, gasping at the pain. She refused to cry, she wouldn't allow herself to. She saw a movement from one of the henchmen and turned her attention to him. He pulled a small item out of his pocket and handed it to the man who stood over Sophia. She eyed his hand as he pressed the button on the side of the blade, causing it to flip open.

"Maybe he's just not using the right methods to teach you." The man said, holding the blade up, He nodded to the three men who where just standing around and they walked to the end of the alley they were in to keep watch.

The leader stepped forward and once again grabbed Sophia's face, running the blade softly along the contours of her face. "Where shall we begin?"

Sophia started to struggle, trying to pull her arms free or get off her knees, but the two men held her there and weren't loosening their grips at all. She felt a sharp pain in her side and looking down, the knife buried to the hilt in her skin. Sophia tilted her head back, biting on her lower lip to keep from screaming and blinking back tears.

"Learning your lesson yet?" He asked, his lips right next to Sophia's ear. She pulled her head back slightly so they were face to face, pursed her lips, then spit in his face. The man cringed back, his hand wiping the fluid from his face, a look of sheer anger on his face. She watched him approach quickly, twisting the knife in his hand. He put one hand behind Sophia, holding her back, then brought the knife forward, slowly digging it into her stomach. She whimpered slightly, closing her eyes from the pain in her side. He held the knife there a moment, then twisted it slowly.

Sophia whimpered again, trying desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Did the other guy ever teach you a lesson like this?" The man asked, continuing to twist the knife agonizingly slow. Sophia clenched her fists, biting back a scream of pain.

"These methods seem a little extreme to me, I use other ways to get the message across." The mechanical voice sounded from the shadows behind the man. Sophia looked up, seeing a hulking figure step soundlessly from the shadows, every muscle in his body tensed.

The men holding her instantly released her, allowing her to fall to her hands and knees. For the first time ever, she was happy to see the man that stood before her. She looked down at the knife that still stuck out from her side and grabbed the handle, pulling the knife swiftly from her side. She gasped at the pain then dropped the knife to the ground.

Bane stepped forward, his massive figure dwarfing the leader of the gang. "And what was it that you planned on doing to this woman once you were done with your lesson?" Bane asked, his voice dangerously low. The man in front of him shirked away, trying to make himself smaller, invisible.

Bane's hand reached forward, grabbing the man by the throat and lifting him off the ground. Sophia heard the sickening crack of the man's neck then the thump of his body hitting the ground. The men that held her had ran, trying to escape the monster that had appeared from the shadows. He watched them run, a puff of air escaping from his breathing device.

"They won't get far, I will have some people hunt them down later." Bane stated, then turned his attention to Sophia. He knelt down next to her, tilting his head as he helped his sit down. "You broke that man's nose." It wasn't a question.

"Yep," she grunted, "didn't think he should get away without a scratch." Her breath was racing, she could feel the warmth of her blood running down her stomach and side.

"You must receive medical attention soon." Bane said, gently checking over her injuries. Sophia started to shiver, realizing for the first time just how cold it was outside. Bane looked at her for a moment, then removed the jacket that draped his shoulders. He gently moved her so she was leaning forward, placing her head on his shoulder as he draped his jacket around her.

Sophia didn't protest, his jacket was warm, he was warm, and she accepted the warmth happily.

"Come little one, we must get you home." He lifted her off the ground slowly, trying to cause her as little pain as possible. He carried her bridal style, walking as smoothly as possible.

Sophia could feel her vision blurring once more, that pesky head wound acting up again. She looked up at Bane as he held her again his chest.  
"Thank you." She whispered.


	15. Bane's Revenge

She lay in darkness, her body numb. She felt like she was floating, her body, everything, weightless. She felt her head lifted gently, then awareness flooded her body. The pain was the first to make it's presence known. Her sides were on fire, her cheek throbbed, and her head felt like it had a jack hammer drilling at it for hours. When she went to reach for her head, a gentle hand pushed hers back down.

She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, then felt the hands ghost over her cheek, making her wince as they poked at her bruise. Sophia's eyes fluttered open and was assaulted by the sudden light, her eyes squinted as she slowly adjusted. She looked around, disoriented, trying to remember how she got there. That's when the memories came running back to her, flowing into her mind. The walk, the group of men, the fight, being attacked, the knife, then Bane. Saving her.

Her eyes shifted to the giant man that sat next to her, who was currently tending to her cheek. His eyes shifted to hers for a moment before going back to her cheek.

"Why…" Her throat was parched, her voice dry and quiet, she couldn't even form a sentence. She swallowed a few times, looking around again. She was laying on the kitchen table. That's when she realized she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and only a bra to cover her top half. She looked at Bane, "What did you do?"

Bane continued to tend to her head and cheek, "It had to be done, I have to clean the knife wounds and I couldn't clean them if your shirt continued to get in the way." Sophia frowned, continuing to watch him as he made her lift her head. "You have a slight concussion, but you will not need stitches."

Sophia went to sit up, but the sudden flare of pain made her stop half way, grunting in pain. Bane lifted his hands and placed one of each shoulder, carefully pushing her back down. He stood and walked to the sink, grabbing a clean towel and getting it wet before walking back over to Sophia.

"You are a lot of trouble, little one." He said, dabbing at the wound on her side.

"What can I say?" She gritted her teeth as Bane started wiping away blood from the stab wound on her stomach. "I'm a handful." She allowed herself a small smile as she continued watching Bane.

"These will need stitches." Bane stood once more, walking into the kitchen and opening a drawer, he pulled out a box then walked back to the table. He opened the box as he sat down, pulling out a bent needle.

"I assume you do this often?" Sophia asked, noticing the bent needle in his hand. Bane didn't reply, he then grabbed a lighter and some black thread. He lit the lighter, holder the needles tip over it until he was satisfied, then placed the lighter aside. He proceeded to grab the thread and loop it through the small hole in the end of the needle. Sophia watched silently, observing how careful he was with everything he was doing.

"This will hurt." Bane stated, looking up to see Sophia's eyes already on his.

"As bad as a knife in the side did?" She asked. She heard Bane let out a small laugh before leaning forward and placing one hand next to the wound in her side. He pushed the edges of the wound together the proceeded to start sewing the wound together. Sophia gritted her teeth, it wasn't so bad, she has most definitely felt worse. She laughed at herself as the thought passed through her head.

"Don't move." Bane snapped, continuing to sew the wound, his hands worked fast and he quickly finished stitching the first would. He moved his hands to her stomach, he started to stitch once more.

"Why did you save me?" Sophia asked, trying to keep her mind off the needle moving in and out of her skin. Bane continued stitching, ignoring Sophia. "Ignore me all you want, but one day you're going to tell me." Bane lifted an eyebrow, finishing off the stitching on the second wound before leaning back in the chair and looking at Sophia.

"Is that so?" He asked, cleaning his hands with the towel he used earlier.

Sophia nodded her head, instantly regretting it as a wave of nausea washed over her. Bane looked over her for a moment and Sophia felt somewhat self conscious. His eyes stopped on her legs.

"The wound in your leg, you irritated it, you will need to remain in the house for the next few days, rest, recover." Bane said, before his eyes moved back up to hers.

Sophia slowly sat up, the pain made her feel like her side was on fire. She slowly swung her legs over the side of the table and sat there for a moment, staring at Bane. She the pushed herself off the table, keeping her hands on it for support. Bane stood and watched her sway against the table for a moment before holding out his hand.

Sophia stared at his hand, shifting her eyes between his hand and his face, Bane grunted.

"Do you want the help to get to your bedroom?" He asked, still patiently waiting for her to take his hand. Sophia reached her hand out and took his gingerly, she stepped away from the table and shifted most of her weight to his arm. Her side hurt with every breath she took, every step towards her room caused her wounds to flare. She hadn't made it three steps when she felt Bane wrap his arm around her waist and his other arm hook behind her legs. He swiftly picked her up, careful not to cause her more pain than necessary. He walked to her bedroom as smoothly as possible then placed her on her bed, taking a step back.

"Rest, you will need it to recover." With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as Sophia's head it the pillow, she was asleep, allowing the pain of the real world to fade away.

* * *

Bane did just what he said he would, he hunted each and every one of the men who helped in the assault of Sophia. He made sure the men knew when he was coming after them, made them paranoid of when he would come, when they would die. Some tried to hide, but he found them easily and made them suffer worse than they could have ever imagined. He made sure the other men would find the bodies of their friend, then he would begin the hunt for another. One man tried to fight back, but it was all for not, he just prolonged his death. As Bane killed the men who attacked Sophia, he felt a pressure lift from his shoulders, and a feeling he couldn't explain filled him. As the last man begged him for death, begged him for a release from the pain, Bane smiled. His broken nose hadn't healed yet, Bane had saved him for last. Bane reached down, grabbing the man's forearm and crushed it in his hand, listened to the anguished screams of the man before him. The man whimpered as Bane left him there to die, knowing that his injuries couldn't be healed, that the man would die a slow painful death.

* * *

**Authors Notes: I'm so sorry for the updates being a little late lately. I've been extremely busy with school work and what ever else the world decides to throw at me. Let me know what you guys think! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, I would like a banner, but I don't know how to make one. If someone would like to make a banner, that would be awesome! You also get a shout out at the end or beginning of a chapter, you're choice. If you need any details about Sophia or anything, just send me a PM! Thanks for all the support everyone!**


	16. Healing

Sophia awoke stiff the next morning, moving as slowly as possible in an attempt to ignore the pain that flooded through her body. She stretched her legs, feeling the stitches in his side pull painfully tight. She grimaced, stopping the stretch halfway though. Sophia looked around the room, a gentle light peeked in through the window, but other than that, the room was empty. She looked to her left, seeing the night stand next to her bed empty as well. She remembered the last time she was injured Bane had left her medicine, those wounds were nothing compared to what she felt now.

She reluctantly rolled out of bed, pulling the blanket with her. Pushing herself to her feet slowly, she shambled towards the door of her room and pulled it open quietly. Readjusting the blanket wrapped around her shoulder, she ventured out, heading straight for the kitchen.

Bane sat at the kitchen table, his hands clasped together and resting on the table, in front of him was a plate of food, sitting in front of an empty chair. Sophia looked at him for a moment before he spoke.

"I would assume you slept well?" He asked, motioning to the food that sat in front of him as he spoke. Sophia walked sluggishly to the table before slowly lowering herself into the empty chair with a grunt.

"Like a baby." She said sarcastically. She looked down at the plate of food, feeling her stomach growl angrily at her. "How long was I asleep?" She asked, picking up a fork and spearing some scrambled eggs with it.

"Twelve hours." Bane's answer was short, but his eyes never felt her. She continued to eat, turning her attention to some sausage on the edge of her plate.

"Did you make this for me?" She asked, pointing her fork at the food. Bane nodded his head, raising his clasped hands so that they hovered in front of his face.

"Thanks." She speared a piece of sausage and took a bite of it, glad to have some food on her stomach. She looked up, her eyes meeting Banes. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." She was surprised she had enough energy to be mean, she was sure she had put some on reserve for just an occasion. Bane continued to stare at her, not moving.

"What?" She asked, her voice raising slightly as she put the fork on the table.

"I've decided to train you." He leaned back in his chair.

"Train me?" Sophia asked, taking a drink of orange juice she had just noticed sitting in front of her.

"Did I stutter?"

"Why would you train me?" She asked, shocked he even brought up the idea.

"So I don't have to come save you every time some idiot decides they want you as their new toy." Bane leaned forward at these words, his eyes darkening. Sophia watched him for a moment, seeing the darkness that entered his eyes. His mind seemed to wander for a second before quickly returning, all signs of the darkness vanished.

"I can take care of myself." Sophia huffed, picking her fork back up and continuing to eat. Bane eyed her for a moment, his eyes shifting to her stomach.

"Obviously."

"I was outnumbered greatly, I tried to run. I should have fought, probably would have made it out better." She said through a mouth full of eggs.

"Or worse." She glared at Bane for a moment then returned to her plate, now empty. Having nothing to keep her from the current conversation, she looked back up.

"And what was I suppose to do?" She asked, looking Bane in the eyes. "Say, here I am, come and get me, I promise I won't run or fight!" She spread her arms wide then winced, instantly regretting the movement. "No, I'll do what I see fit, whether it's running or fighting."

"Then I shall help you to hone your fighting skills." His voice taking on a tone of impatience.

"Why?" Sophia asked again, her voice quieting.

"So you won't get hurt." Sophia saw his expression change at these words, an expression she didn't know, then it quickly became impassive once more.

"Very well." She sighed, pushing her chair back slowly, she stood, grumbling as she did so. Grabbing her plate, she shuffled to the sink and placed the plate gently in the sink. She placed her hands on either side of the sink and sighed heavily. She raised her head, looking out the window and seeing the clear blue sky outside.

She felt Bane standing behind her and turned around, her back against the sink.

"You shall begin training as soon as I judge your wounds to be healed enough." He said, a hiss escaping from his mask as he spoke.

"Yes, sir." She said mockingly, putting two fingers to her forehead in a mock solute.

"We could start now if you do so wish, little one." He said, she could see his eyes wrinkle in what she knew was a smile.

"If it is all the same to you, I would rather wait." She said, allowing herself a small smile. She straightened up, moving around Bane and making a beeline for the couch. Upon reaching it, she collapsed, muttering something into the pillows.

"What was that, little one?" He asked, she heard him walk over to the couch, standing behind it.

"I said," Sophia rolled her face to the side so she was more audible. "This healing thing is going to be a pain."

* * *

**Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long, I've been kinda busy. Also, sorry it's so short, had a writers block. Let me know what you think!**


	17. Training

Sophia lay stretched out on her bed, breathing in the fresh air her open window brought in. Her wounds had been healing nicely, Bane had even given her the seal of approval to start training today. She lifted her shirt, looking at the two angry, red scratches that use to be holes in her side. She sat up and slid across the bed until her feet hung over the edge. She stood slowly, stretching out her arms and legs as she did. Turning to her closet, she picked out a black tank top and a pair of cargo pants. If she was going to start training today then she would wear something she felt wouldn't hinder her movement.

She strode out of her room and straight for the fridge, ignoring the hulking figure of a man that stood in the center of the kitchen. Sophia reached into the fridge and grabbed a banana and a glass of milk, feeling Banes eyes follow her every movement. She turned on her heels and faced Bane, taking a bite out of the banana.

Bane wore a black wife beater and his usual cargo pants, his back brace and arm guard gracing his body. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting.

"You want to begin training now?" Sophia asked, taking another bite from the banana.

"Exercising at the beginning of the day will help your body." She saw the muscles in his back tense then release. She downed the last of her milk then took one last bite of her banana before tossing the peel into the trash.

"Then what shall I be learning today sensei?" She asked, bowing slightly with a smirk on her face.

"How to defend yourself when you are outmatched." Bane lowered his arms from his chest and stood before Sophia, she felt small compared to him, but that didn't mean she could never beat him. "Take your stance."

Sophia did as she was told, spreading her feet apart, placing them so they weren't in a straight line, but slightly diagonal. She then brought her hands up so they were hovering just in front of her chest. Bane tilted his head to the side, studying her stance

"Not bad," he walked around her so that he was standing behind her, "but you need to bend your knees more." She felt a hand grab her shoulder and his foot connect with the back of her knee, causing her to lose balance for a moment then recompose herself. She readjusted her stance and stood there in her new stance as Bane corrected her.

"Straighten your back," Once more his hand found her shoulder while the other pushed on her lower back, causing her to straighten up. "Spread your feet wider," he placed a foot between hers and kicked her feet apart so they were a shoulder length apart. "Very good."

He stood before her once more, examining her stance and looking for the slightest flaw in how she stood. Once satisfied, he took his stance as well.

"I have noticed you are a defensive fighter, so today we will perfect your defense, then move to offense." Sophia nodded, keeping her hands up.

"Ready when you are." She said, watching Bane carefully for any unexpected move. Bane raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips.

He stepped forward quickly, bringing his fist back then surging it forward. Sophia instinctively stepped back, just out of range of his fist. Bane stepped forward again and again, punching towards Sophia, but she continued backing up, avoiding his massive fists.

"Stop running, little one." He chided, just as her back hit the wall. His hand shot forward, grabbing her neck. "Running never saved anyone, once you run out of places to run, you are finished." He stepped back, allowing them to return to their starting positions. "This time I want you to block."  
Sophia didn't say a word, she just continued to watch him. She knew she didn't have the strength to block one of his punches, but she might be able to redirect the blow. Bane lunged, stepping forward with one foot and pushing the opposite fist forward. Sophia brought up her arm, moving it from one side to the other. He felt her fore arm connect with Bane's and pushed as hard as she could. She felt the rush of wind brush past her face as she barely deflected Bane's punch.

She looked up just in time to see his other hand follow the first. Sophia quickly ducked, bringing her leg around and kicking Bane's legs. Bane didn't budge. Sophia looked at him in shock, most people would be flat on there back from that, but he hadn't moved

"You have more training than I thought" Bane reached down, grabbing Sophia's arm and pulling her to her feet.

"I'm just a bundle of surprises." She grumbled, pulling free of Bane's grip.

Bane took his stance once again and motioned for her to do the same. They trained for hours, Bane constantly telling her what she was doing wrong, if she repeated the offense he would break through her defense and give her another bruise to add to her growing collection. Once Bane was satisfied with their first day of training, he allowed her to do as she wished.

Sophia decided upon laying on her bed, thinking over the events of the day as her sore body relaxed. She thought of how angry she was, how tired she was of being Bane's play thing. She missed her freedom, she missed life before he had come to Gotham. Sure, Gotham wasn't the best city in the world, people here were corrupt, but not matter where you looked, you could find corruption. She had heard of what happened to Batman, the whispers of the mercenaries. Bane had defeated Batman and threw him in a hole to die. The anger continued to build as she thought of all the things Bane had done to her and her city, and she allowed it to grow. Bane wasn't just a man, he was a monster, maybe the devil himself, she didn't know.

Sophia looked around the room, thinking of what she could do to bring down Bane, to make him suffer for what he had done to her and her city. She knew any plan she came up with would require patience to the utmost extreme and the ability to play any role she forced upon herself, whether she had to be nice to Bane or loath him with her either being, a task that wouldn't be hard.

She would have her revenge, she was sure of it. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

**Ok. I know I'm pretty inconsistent with chapter updates, sorry about that -.-' but here ya go! Hope you like it, tell me what you think!**


	18. Q and A

Sophia sat in the middle of her room on the floor, papers holding her drawings scattered around her. Each drawing pertained to Bane, how she saw him, what she saw him doing or how he did something. Each paper held something out Bane that might help her, might reveal to her his weakness. She glanced at the papers on the floor noticing some where harsh with angular lines, while others where soft and held perfect detail. She continued staring at the papers when it hit her.

His mask.

He never took it off, or at least she never saw him without it. She had a general idea of it's purpose, but she needed to know more about it. That had to be his weakness, she could feel it.

Sophia reached out, pulling the papers towards her and collecting them into a single pile, straightened them out, then placed them back in her sketchbook. She grabbed the sketchbook as she stood and walked out of the room, pencil in hand.

Bane wasn't in his usual spot at the table but instead he sat at the couch. He was laid back, a book in one hand and the other stretched across the back of the couch, Sophia listened intently as the hiss of his mask filled the room, wondering how it worked.

"Glad to see you have finally left your room, little one." Bane said, his eyes never leaving the book. Sophia walked over to the couch and sat as far from him as she could get. She opened her sketchbook to a blank page and brought pencil to paper, drawing Bane once more, but focusing more on the mask than anything else.

"You have drawn me quiet often, do you find something interesting about me?" Bane asked, his eyes sliding over to watch Sophia as she worked.

"I find you a complex puzzle," Sophia said, her eyes gliding over the page as she brought her drawing to life, "I wonder how a single man could bring an entire city to its knees. I wonder why you wear the mask. I wonder what you look like under the mask. Are you even human? I find many things interesting." Sophia stated, flipping to another blank page and starting another drawing.

"You wonder a great many things my dear, are you sure you want to know the answers to all of your questions?" Bane asked, closing the book and placing it on the couch next to him. Sophia didn't saw a word, but Bane knew the answer to her question anyways. "Then I shall make you a deal, a question for a question."

"I would rather have an answer for an answer." Sophia looked up, her pencil stopping momentarily as she studied Bane, then returned to her drawing.

Bane chuckled, leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees. "Very well, you may ask the first question."

Sophia placed the eraser in the side of her mouth for a moment as she thought, then pointed it towards Bane, "where did you come from?"  
"Hell on Earth." His answer was short and didn't satisfy Sophia one bit.

"And where is that? What was it like?" Sophia asked, pulling her feet under her so she could sit more comfortably.

"You have already asked your question little one, it is my turn now." Sophia could feel a frown tugging at the edges of her lips, she could tell it was going to harder than she thought to get information out of Bane.

"Alright then, ask your question."

"Have you always lived in Gotham?" His eyes met hers, his steady gaze studying her.

"No." Bane nodded, seeming to want more from the question, but Sophia was going to play the same game he was, if he wanted information, he would have to fish for it.

"What was this 'Hell on Earth' like?" Sophia watched as Bane's eyes glazed over for a moment, before returning to there cool manner, giving away nothing.

"In short, you fought for your life everyday. No one cared whether you lived or died. It was a prison, a hole in the ground where everyday you could look at the light in hopes of one day being able to embrace it, and every time you tried, you failed."

Sophia looked back at her paper, a sketch of Bane half finished, she flipped to a new page and started a new sketch, one of the prison Bane described.

"Where did you live before Gotham?" Bane's eyes never left her as he asked her questions, she knew he was looking to see if she would lie.

"North Carolina." She said, a smile touching her lips.

"What a beautiful state." Sophia nodded, remembering how easy is was to get to the beach or the mountains, depending on what mood you were in.

"How did you escape this prison?" Sophia looked up from her drawing, hers eyes catching Bane's.

"An old friend." He gave nothing more and Sophia strangely didn't want more. "Where are your parents?"

Sophia's pencil froze, her eyes not moving from where they had last looked. "I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"They disappeared when I was little. I woke up one morning and they weren't there. I called the police, they handed me over to my grandmother, and I heard nothing more about them from that day forth." Bane saw Sophia's eyes fill with water before she blinked quickly, holding back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Besides, that's two questions, now it's my turn."

"Why do you wear the mask?"

"To hold back the pain."

Sophia squinted her eyes at him, "How does it work?"

Bane pointed to two small canisters in the back of his mask, "these hold my medicine, as I breath, the medicine becomes a vapor and goes up these tubes." His finger ran alone the tubes that ran from the back of the mask to the front mouth piece. "I breathe in the gas and it helps to relieve my pain."

Sophia nodded, so she now knew how it worked, she just needed to use her knew found information to her advantage.

"What did you do before Gotham fell?" Bane asked. The question surprised Sophia, why would he even care?

"I was unemployed." She looked outside, seeing the clear blue sky reaching past the horizon. "What were you before you came to Gotham?"

"A mercenary." Bane laced his fingers together, keeping his elbows on his knees. "Why were you unemployed?"

Sophia gave Bane a half smile, "my last employer was a creepy, to touchy feely, so I quit."

Bane nodded at this answer, somewhat proud that she wasn't the kind of woman who would stay at a job with a man like what she described simply because they needed the money. "It is your turn to ask a question."

"No, I think I'm finished with having my brain picked." Sophia gave Bane a smile and stood from the couch, gripping her sketchbook in her hand. Bane watched her as she walked back to her room, his eyes never leaving her until she closed the door behind her.

Sophia had gotten just what she hoped for, now to put the information to good use.

* * *

**Thanks for all the support everyone! I'm glad you like the story so much. Let me know what you think. It's more of a chapter to find out a little more about Bane and Sophia.**


	19. Lets go for a Walk

So his mask held back pain, but pain from what? She didn't know and she didn't really care enough to find out. Her only concern was figuring out a way to make it stop, sabotage. She knew this was going to be difficult, she had no idea how she would get to the mask, let alone sabotage it without Bane knowing. She looked at the last drawing she had brought to life in her sketchbook, a a tunnel leading up to a sky that could never be reached. She didn't know why she had felt the reason to draw it, it probably wasn't anything like the place Bane had been, but she had drawn it all the same.

If she had to guess, the mask held back pain from a past injury. Perhaps the scar running down his spine was the reason for the mask or, at least, part of it. Sophia sat on the floor of her room, her back pressed against the wall, thinking of ways to get to Bane's mask. She couldn't think of anything, she had never seen him take it off. He must eat, but she didn't know how, she didn't even think he took the mask off when he slept.

Sophia heard the deliberately heavy footsteps as they paced slowly down the hallway, Bane's way of letting her know he's coming. He never knocked so this was his way of warning her. She flipped her sketchbook shut and stared at the door expectantly as she heard the footsteps pacing closer. The door swung open and Bane's figure instantly filled the doorway. He stepped into the room and his eyes instantly connected with Sophia's.

"Come, little one." His mask hissed as he inhaled, the sound filling the once quiet room.

"Where are we going?" Sophia asked, standing slowly, her back sliding up the wall.

"For a walk." Sophia eyed him for a moment, then walked over to the closet and grabbing her jacket and a pair of sneakers. She lifted her shirt slightly, the wounds in her sides had been healing nicely, now they looked like scratch marks aside from the large scar around them.

She let her shirt fall back into place as she brushed past Bane and out the door, heading for the elevator. "So why do you need me to go on a walk with you?"

She could hear the hiss of Bane's mask behind her as he walked behind her. "You seem to find trouble very easily, I don't want to have to patch you up every time you go out for air."

Sophia turned her head slightly to look at Bane. "I didn't want to go out for air."

"But you will want to soon, better to go out now when I can go with you, then to send you out alone again." Bane watched her reactions carefully and noticed the anger that slowly welled up inside her.

"I don't need a babysitter."

"Oh, but you do my dear." Sophia saw Bane's eyes crinkle slightly, she knew he was smiling at her annoyance. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, none to happy her had pulled her away from her thoughts.

As they rode down in the elevator Sophia's eyes turned towards the mask, examining the way the tubes ran along the top, the slots for the medicine, and the exposed parts of Bane's face.

She knew that Bane could feel her watching him, but he made no motion to acknowledge her.

The elevator dinged loudly, followed by the doors sliding open. The lobby was quiet as usual, only a few people dressed in military garb scattered here and there. None turned to watch as she and Bane walked past them, continuing on as if the man who had brought Gotham to its knees was just any ordinary man.

Upon exiting the building Sophia inhaled deeply, not realizing how much she missed the fresh air until now. She could feel Bane's eyes on her as she closed her eyes and relished the cold crisp air that now filled her lungs. She was happy, even for just a moment, she didn't want to open her eyes and see what had become of her Gotham. But eventually everyone has to return to reality and she slowly opened her eyes, seeing the empty streets of a once bustling town.  
"Where are we going?" Sophia asked, her eyes grazing the streets for the slightest sign of movement.

"No where in particular." His answer was short and Sophia had the slightest feeling he was hiding something. As they walked Sophia ran her hands up and down her arms, keeping herself warm. She felt a slight pain every time her hands ran over a particular spot, remembering the nasty bruise she received while training with Bane. Her mind wandered as she thought of the training session with him. He was trying to teach her to use her opponents size against them, after losing her temper she swung out at him and he caught her arm. His grip tightened on her arm as she tried to pull away. He told her never to attack unless you are prepared for the consequences, then released her arm. She awoke the next day with a black and purple bruise that covered most of her forearm. Sophia mentally shook herself, bringing her mind back from her wandering thoughts.

"How do you eat?" She asked Bane, keeping her eyes on the sidewalk. She heard the mask hiss as he inhaled, then another as he exhaled.

"Very carefully."

Sophia sighed at the answer, annoyed that he didn't answer it the way she wanted. "How do you eat very carefully?" She asked, watching as a stray cat ran across the street.

"Morphine." It was a simple answer, but it satisfied Sophia, another piece of the puzzle to solve. "Why did you move to Gotham?"

Sophia was surprised by the question, she didn't really know the answer to that question herself. She shrugged her shoulders, kicking a pebble that lay in her path. She looked up to notice they were back in front of the building she was kept prisoner in, they had lapped the block and she hadn't even noticed.

"Thanks for the walk." She smiled at him, then walked towards the building.

"Sophia." He said her name slowly, calling out to her. She turned quickly, looking at Bane, waiting for whatever it was he wanted, he simply shook his head.  
"I will return home later." With that, he turned and left.

Sophia walked to the elevator, pushing the button that took her to the correct floor.

He had called her by her name. He had never done that before. She was surprised, it was always little one or my dear, never Sophia. She walked mindlessly to the couch, remembering the look on his face when he had said her name, like he wanted to say something but changed his mind, for the following hours, these thoughts haunted her mind.

* * *

**Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been really busy lately! I know this chapter isn't really interesting, but I felt the need to put it up. Hope you like it!**


	20. Push Yourself

Sophia stood in the shower, letting the hot water flow through her hair. For the first time in a long time she felt somewhat relaxed, not allowing any thoughts to pester her mind. She ran her fingers through her hair, allowing the peace what only a shower could bring to your body, but she knew it couldn't last. She looked down at her body, seeing the numerous bruises that covered it. Bruised speckled her arms, legs and torso from the relentless training. Bane had become more strict with her training, constantly making her do more and more until she felt numb.

With a heavy sigh, Sophia turned the water off, standing there for a moment. She ran her hands over her hair, pushing excess water off as she did, then pushed the shower curtain open, reaching forward and grabbing a towel. She was becoming a better fighter, she could feel it every time she fought with Bane. She thought of the last time they trained as she dried her body and wrapped a towel around herself.

* * *

"Push yourself." Bane said. _Push yourself._ That's all she had been hearing from him for the past two weeks. _Push yourself._ What did he think she was doing? She certainly wasn't being lazy with everything she was doing, she was giving it her all, yet all he would say is_:_ _push yourself._

Sophia was on the floor, doing push up after push up, strengthening her arms as she brought herself down and back up. She could feel her arms straining as she continued, worn out from the constant work out. Bane circled her, looking for the slightest flaw to point out to her, the slightest mistake in posture or form that could be considered as slacking off or not putting enough effort into her work out. His fingers drummed along the seam of his pants as he studied her every move, waiting for her to make a mistake, then he saw it. Her right leg had bent slightly when she went down, letting it hit the floor. Instantly, Bane's foot connected with the back of her knees, causing Sophia to collapse on the floor.

Sophia rolled over, anger in her eyes. "What the hell was that for?" She yelled, pulling herself up so that she was standing before Bane.

"Your form slipped, I was reminding you to keep you legs straight." His mask hissed as he spoke, his breathing heavy and even. Sophia pulled herself up to her full height, standing before Bane.

"I did nothing wrong." Sophia huffed, glaring at Bane as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is that so, little one?" Sophia saw his eyes squint in anger but she didn't care. "If you know better than I do then we should put it to the test." Sophia tilted her head, eyeing Bane suspiciously as he walked around her. He spread his arms wide and stopped walking once he had walked a full circle. "Fight me."

Sophia felt her heart stop. _Fight me._ If there was one thing she knew, it was that she wasn't to Bane's level yet. She had fought him once, she knew what he was capable of and she suspected the last fight that Bane had held back. Yet, she was tempted. She wanted to know the extent of her new abilities. What could she due? How much damage could she inflict on a man such as Bane? How close was she to her revenge?

Without a second thought, Sophia bowed slightly, then took a fighting stance. She could see the smile that was hidden behind the mask, she knew he was happy she had accepted his challenge.

Bane lunged forward, covering the distance between them in one stride, he punched at Sophia, striking at her again and again. Sophia dodged each attack, side stepping and ducking just in time. She needed to get him to trip up, to make a mistake. She watched his movements as carefully as she could while trying to dodge his attacks.

"How to you plan to get anything accomplished if all you do is run little one?" Bane asked as he continued attacking. Sophia blocked one of his punches with her forearm and brought her other hand forward, punching at the pipes on his mask. Her fist connected and her hand instantly felt like it was on fire. Pain exploded from the impact as she quickly retracted her hand and backed away as Bane sent an instinctive punch her way. Bane didn't seem phased by the punch at all as she continued coming towards her. She blocked another punch and rolled forward, coming up behind Bane. As she stood, she lifted her leg, her heel connecting with the back of Bane's head. He turned angrily and lashed out, grabbing Sophia's wrist and pulling her close.

"My dear, it is painfully obvious that you need more training." She could feel his grip on her wrist tightened slightly at these words. "From now on, you will do as I say, you will follow my orders, and you will not question me. Is that understood?" Sophia stared at him angrily, not saying a word. He was right, she did need more training, but she didn't want to give up. She would have her revenge. She would surpass Bane. "I said, is that understood?" His grip tightened more, causing Sophia to wince in pain. Her nod was barely discernible, but Bane saw in and pushed Sophia away, causing her to stumble slightly. "We shall continue your training tomorrow."

* * *

Sophia Let out another sigh at the memory. That fight had been what caused most of her bruises. She blocked more than she attacked when it came to Bane, she barely had time to block, yet along attack. She grabbed a second towel and started to dry her long blond hair. Once she was done she flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked around, the mirror was fogged, but she didn't bother clearing it. She wrapped the towel around herself a little tighter and opened the door, fully intent on heading to her bedroom. As she walked out, Bane was sitting at the kitchen table, a book resting in his large hand. At the noise of the door he looked up and saw Sophia wrapped in a towel.

"What are you looking at?" Sophia asked, before turning and walking down the hall to her room. She knew it wasn't the best 'comeback' in the world, it was something a child would say, but she didn't care. She closed her door quietly behind her and went to her closet, putting on some clean sweat pants and a tank top before going to her sketchbook and looking at all the notes she had taken on Bane and his mask.

* * *

Bane watched as Sophia disappeared into her room wearing nothing but a towel. His eyes remained on her door even after she had shut it. He had never realized how small she was, how slight her frame was. Usually she wore lose pants or a somewhat lose shirt to hide the fact, and even if she did wear something that was form fitting her had never paid much attention. He was surprised he had never noticed this before, he was usually so observant, never missing even the smallest of details. Sophia never ceased to amaze him and he wondered what more she would surprise him with before Gotham's day of reckoning.

* * *

**Author's**** note: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I've been really busy with a lot of things going on and haven't had time to do much of anything. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think!**


End file.
